Obsession
by Razamataz22
Summary: The one armed man next door holds many secrets, and Videl Satan is determined to discover everything about him. But how far is she really willing to go to discover secrets that only a few should know? Disclaimer: Dont own DBZ
1. The Guy Next Door

To any normal person this may have looked like an innocent nudge but to Videl Satan it was so much more. While most people moved out of the way for the daughter of the hero, this guy had brushed her shoulder with his arm. This part was normal but the fact that it had knocked her to the ground was not! Getting to her feet, Videl looked down the path to see that the guy hadn't even bothered to help her up. His head was hunched over as if he was deep in thought but you think he would have realised that he had walked into someone.

"Calm down Videl," said the ever bubbly Erasa to her friend.

"If I saw his face I would put him on the most wanted list," threatened Videl contemplating storming after the guy.

"Just relax; we've only got a week left before school starts and we are not going to spend it hunting down some random stranger who has a really bad sense of fashion. I mean, Khaki pants are so last season," stated Erasa.

Videl took one final look at the guy walking down the street. He seemed to be a normal sort of guy wearing navy blue khaki pants and a long sleeved shirt covering his torso. Except for some strange reason the left sleeve hung at an awkward angle, almost parallel with his torso. Videl couldn't delve on it anymore as he blended in with the crowd although from time to time she could see his jet black hair amongst the waves of people.

Videl felt her arms get pulled as Erasa dragged her into a nearby coffee shop. They took their seats after ordering their drinks and Erasa began to blab away at a million miles an hour. Videl only managed to pick up every second or third word and thus made little attempt to decipher the message in its entirety. Her mind was still set on that strange man and how his sleeve looked too big for his arm. Finally deciding that his arm was broken and in a splint that had to be at that angle, Videl sipped away at the skinny hot chocolate that had been put down in front of her.

After the hot drinks had served their purpose, Videl was dragged to all of these different clothes stores by Erasa. Had Sharpner been around he would have been forced to watch but since he was on her father's martial arts camp there had been no annoying men for a while. They had been at the camp for a fortnight and were coming back this evening. Erasa searched through rack after rack searching desperately for the perfect formal dress which she would need in eight months time. Videl knew that Erasa would never pick a dress but this exercise kept her entertained for hours on end.

A sudden beeping sound alerted Videl that something had occurred and she looked at her wristwatch. Pressing a few buttons communications with police headquarters was established. "What's the situation?" she asked the chief on the other side of the line.

"We've got a situation at the mall south east of the centre of the city near the Grand Cinema, few men just robbed a jewellery store" he announced. Videl made note that that was where she was as a gun shot rang out across the other side of the mall.

"I'm on it," said Videl cutting the communication. Turning to Erasa she commanded, "Stay here!" Erasa didn't need to be told twice. Videl rushed out of the door and sprinted towards where the shooting had come from. Except when she got half way there she realised she had only heard the one shot. That didn't stop her sprint as she rounded the final corner. Gobsmacked would be an understatement to how Videl felt when looking at the situation.

From the looks of things there had been three people who had tried to escape in a truck which was now sitting on its side while the three men were sprawled out across the ground unconscious. Videl just looked at the mess as the first of the police vehicles arrived on the scene. One officer stepped out the car and surveyed the situation. "Well done Miss Videl but don't you think tipping the truck was a little too much?" he asked.

"But I only just got here," stuttered Videl.

The officer was now confused as the rest of the cops placed handcuffs on the criminals. "So if you didn't do it who did?" he asked.

"I may be able to help," said a bystander who came rushing over to give his report on the story. "When those thieves came running over to their truck this man stood in front of them, blocking their road. Eventually they tried to do a hit and run but the man stopped the truck with one hand! It was amazing. Then he took a sidestep and it looked like the crooks were going to get away when he hit the side of the truck and it tipped over."

"That sort of feat is impossible unless the truck also hit a pothole or something like that," said Videl trying to come up with an explanation.

"Anyway," continued the old man, "then the three guys began to attack this man. He was moving so quick my eyes couldn't keep up with him. Then one of those crooks pulled a gun at him and shot him in the shoulder from close range. He continued fighting and knocked the last of them out before walking off. It was bizarre; he didn't look like he cared about what had happened even though it did look like he was bleeding quite a lot."

As if to prove a point one of the officers who was taking photos yelled out, "We got a trail of blood over here. Do you think it belongs to another criminal?"

"From what this guy is saying that blood belongs to the person who stopped them," shouted Videl.

"Does that mean you didn't do this Videl?" asked the cop.

"No I had nothing to do with this," said Videl. "This guy here said that some random guy stopped these crooks and got shot in the process. You take care of the crooks and I'll go to the nearest hospital to see if this guy is alright." With a nod to show that they understood they went their separate ways. Videl sent a quick text to Erasa explaining that police business had gotten in the way of their day and as such would catch up with her later. She didn't bother to look at the reply message because she knew the words would be screaming at her.

Decapsualizing her jet copter, Videl made her way to the nearest hospital. Upon arrival she talked to the lady at the desk who told her that no man had come in with a bullet wound today. _Could he have not made it? What if he collapsed? Surely someone would have taken him to a hospital if they saw him collapse on the ground, _she thought. Her wristwatch began to go off and she answered it. "Uh Miss Videl, you're not going to believe this," said the voice.

"What is it?" asked Videl.

"Talking to the witnesses it seems that only one bullet was fired throughout the entire scuffle and guess what we just found on the ground," said the officer.

"Don't tell me," said Videl in shock.

"Yep, we got a blood covered bullet sitting here on the ground." The dreaded words Videl didn't want to hear.

"So does that mean the bullet went straight through his arm?" asked Videl.

"Well here comes the next problem, the bullet isn't fully covered in blood, only the front half of the metal is actually red while the rest is as if it never came out of the firearm," said the officer.

Videl was shocked. The fact that there was blood on the bullet meant that it had hit its target but the fact that it wasn't covered in blood meant that the bullet hadn't gone all the way through. "So what does that mean? That the bullet didn't penetrate all the way through?"

"It would appear that way, an option I can think of is that the guy has an abnormally large bone structure which stopped the bullet in its track," said the officer sounding like a forensic scientist.

"But if that is so does that mean that he pulled the bullet out of his arm and just dropped it there?" Videl exclaimed.

"Apparently so, I can see no other explanation," said the officer.

"Thank you very much," said Videl solemnly before cutting the connection. Somehow she had the feeling that nobody was going to come here today. Videl told the nurse that if a man came here with a bullet wound to his right shoulder that she was to be contacted immediately before heading home. This day had lead to too many unanswered questions and her brain had gone into overload now.

...

"Hey sweet pea," said Hercule as he watched his daughter come in through the front door.

"Hey dad," said Videl as she embraced her father in a hug. "How was the camp?"

"Those men were good but they will never be as strong as the man who defeated Cell," Hercule boasted.

"Yea," said Videl in defeat. She never believed that her dad had beaten Cell but what was one girl's opinion against the rest of the world.

"Oh did the maid tell you about the new neighbour?" asked Hercule.

"What! Someone actually purchased that place off of Bulma Briefs?" exclaimed Videl. The house next door belonged to the one and only owner of Capsule Corp and its size made the Hercule mansion look like a doll house. Rumours had it that the building was over a mile wide and had over eight stories. From looking at it the rumours could more or less be true. On several occasions her father had tried to purchase the house from the briefs only to be bounced back with them saying that they had no interest in selling the house. It was identical to their house in West City, just a large dome. Who knew what was actually inside the house.

"According to the maid a single man about your age went inside only a few minutes ago but it didn't look like he used a key or anything to get inside," said Hercule.

"I bet the bastard broke in," exclaimed Videl. After all, nobody her age had enough money to buy something from the Briefs.

"Yea, no smart aleck punk could afford that place, he's probably trashing it now," stated Hercule backing his daughter's claims.

"Leave him to me," said Videl as she charged out the open door. She couldn't trust her father to do anything, outside of the dojo and the tourney held every once in a while Hercule was all talk. If the situation was in the public limelight he would give it his all but if there was a chance he would get seriously hurt he would flee without a moment's notice. That's what separated her from her father; she wasn't afraid to do the dirty jobs.

Sprinting, she ran straight up to the door and tried to open it when she realised the very important fact, the door had no handle. "What do you want?" asked a crackly voice over the nearby communicator.

Pressing the button for the communicator, Videl made her statements. "Are you the owner of this place?"

"No what would make you think that?" asked the voice on the other end of the line.

"Do your parents own this place?"

"No, they don't own this place."

"Then how do you have access to Bulma Briefs house?"

"Why shouldn't I have access to my own God-mother's house?"

This took Videl back a couple of steps because that meant that he had a legitimate reason to be there. "I'm sorry; I thought you had broken into this place since hardly anybody ever comes here."

"That's fine, would you like to come in, I just made myself a snack," he offered.

"Sure thank you, that would be nice," she replied. _Might as well get off on the right foot_, she thought.

"Just follow the robot," he said as the connection cut and the doors slid open. Videl watched as the doors slid to both sides and a small robot on wheels stood in the centre of the hall. It began to roll down the corridor and Videl followed, knowing that she could easily get lost in this place. She looked from room to room, various appliances could be seen in each one. Finally the robot came to a spot and beckoned for Videl to go into the adjacent room. Following its orders Videl found herself in the kitchen where a meal fit for a king sat out in the open.

"This is a snack!" she exclaimed as a body appeared out of the other side of the refrigerator.

"It might be enough for dinner," he said as he closed the fridge with another plate of food in his hand. Videl quickly eyed the man and instantly wanted to strangle him. He was wearing navy blue khaki pants and a long sleeve shirt with the left arm hanging awkwardly. There was no doubt that this was the man who had bumped into her earlier. But when she had a closer inspection she could only stand there stunned.

"Oh. My. Kami." Videl said under her breath. Upon further inspection she realised that this man's sleeve hung down awkwardly for a reason. Not only was it hanging loosely but it was hollow, this man had no left arm! Along with that the other arm was badly stained red with fresh blood, a small cloth had been tied loosely around his right shoulder. A few drops of blood splashed on the ground as the man put the final plate on the counter.

He then walked over to where she was standing; giving off a goofy smile as if everything was perfectly dandy. He held out his arm for a handshake. "My name's Gohan, nice to meet you," he said, his onyx eyes staring at her face while he smiled.

...

**You don't know how long I have been planning this story. For anybody who has read my previous work they would understand that I don't plan things in advance. So the fact that I have actually been planning this means that you should read it. I am dead serious, this will be my greatest work to date. Big claims; stay tuned and watch me back them up. Please review, always willing to hear what people say.**


	2. Questions Arise

Videl could've started dry reaching as she looked at the hand being offered to her with blood dripping rhythmically from the bottom finger. Gohan seemed to realise what was wrong and retracted his hand before wiping it on his pants and then offering it once more. Videl put on a brave face and gripped his hand with her own, feeling the warm blood on his palm.

"Yea, sorry about the blood, some bastard shot me earlier," said Gohan as they broke the handshake.

"You got shot!" exclaimed Videl. "Have you been to a hospital?"

"Na, I've had worse," said Gohan waving it off. "It'll be fine in a day or two."

"You've had worse, what could be worse than being shot?" asked Videl, her tone still disbelieving what Gohan was saying. Gohan didn't answer in words but simply looked at his left shoulder and the absent arm. "Oh I'm sorry," said Videl, her mood doing a complete one eighty. "Do you mind if I asked how it happened?"

"I was being noble," he chuckled recollecting what had happened. "A vicious attack was heading for one of my dad's friends and I threw myself in the line of fire."

"What sort of attack can blow a man's arm off?" asked Videl, curious to what this meant.

"An attack from Cell," said Gohan as he sat down at the table. Videl was shocked; this man who looked no older than her had taken a blow from that monster seven years earlier when he was only still a boy. "Well are you going to have some?" asked Gohan offering some of the spread.

"I'll only have some if you let me bandage that wound properly," said Videl. It was clear that Gohan had survived an attack which had come from a being who had wiped out an entire army but she would not let him openly bleed in front of her. Defeated, Gohan got off his seat and went and grabbed a nearby first aid box. For safety reasons, Bulma had placed a box in all of the group gathering rooms in the house.

Handing the box to Videl, Gohan grabbed his makeshift bandage with his teeth and pulled out the knot which held it in place. Videl held a roll of thick cloth and a few safety pins ready along with a cotton bud or two and waited for Gohan to take his shirt off. As nothing was happening it was clear that he didn't know that she needed to see the wound. "Could you take your shirt off?" asked Videl trying desperately not to insult him.

Gohan seemed to understand what she was saying but was reluctant, as if he had something to hide, although since there was no way out of this situation he grabbed the shirt by the collar and pulled it off. Videl was stunned by both shock and horror. The number of scars littered across Gohan's torso was phenomenal and underneath that was the toned body of a warrior. The muscles weren't bulging but they were so well defined as if they had been chiselled out of the smoothest stone. Her eyes tried vigorously to avoid the absence of a left arm but her eyes succumbed to their desire.

"Bulma helped smooth it out," said Gohan noticing where she was looking. Videl could see where the arm had once been was now just a plain flat piece of skin with the largest scar of all crossing over it. _Of course it would be the largest scar it's because he is missing an arm for Kami's sake,_ Videl mentally swore. Realising the task at hand, she dipped the cotton bud in some disinfectant and dabbed it on the bullet wound. What normally would have stung at least a bit didn't seem to faze him in the slightest. Grabbing the cotton bud she went to repeat the process on the other side of the arm where the bullet should have come out...except there was no wound.

"What are you staring at?" asked Gohan.

"Well you got shot, doesn't that mean the bullet should have gone through your arm?" she asked in retaliation.

"Na, it didn't make it," he said with a smile.

_That damn goofy smile, doesn't he take anything seriously,_ she thought as she wrapped up his wound with the cloth before fastening it with the safety pins. Grabbing a wet rag, Videl washed Gohan's arm free of the blood. "I'll say this now Gohan; it was a pretty foolish thing jumping in front of Cell and taking the blow for a friend."

"Impulsive behaviour can do strange things," he replied as he admired the handiwork before throwing his shirt back on. "Can we eat now?" he asked.

"It's your house," she said. Gohan casually walked over to the dinner table and got himself comfortable before literally inhaling half of the food. Videl sat down on the other side of the table where there was less chance for a hand to go missing. She couldn't believe that another person could eat at such an inhuman rate. Slowly she lifted her cutlery to her mouth and tasted the food which was disappearing rapidly. It felt like Heaven had just relocated to my mouth. "This is incredible," Videl said feeling the urge to throw away all table manners and simply dig in.

"Have as much as you can," said Gohan between mouthfuls. Videl saw that he no longer had any cutlery and was just using his hand to pick up everything. _He's not using any table manners but does that make it alright for me to throw away all of the etiquette I have been taught?_ Deciding to be sensible, Videl continued to eat with her cutlery but found herself forcing food down her throat.

Soon, the food had all gone and Videl couldn't help but wonder how much weight she would have put on from that one meal. "I think you've gone and made me get fat," she said bleakly. _I sound like Erasa damn it._

"Don't worry about your weight, these dishes were premade by my mum and then Bulma pressed them full of her latest edible invention which helps prevent weight gain," he explained.

"That's good to know," she said. Now Videl wanted to get some details about this strange man before her. "Just wondering, how did you get such a tone body?"

"I train constantly," he answered.

"How can you train with only one arm?" she asked, half expecting Gohan to cringe at the fact that she had said that he had only one arm.

"You just have to have the right equipment," he said with a smile. "Will your father be worried about you being at a boy's house?" Videl stood up remembering the whole reason she had come over.

"Thank you so much for reminding me, dad's going to kill me," she exclaimed walking to the kitchen door. "Thank you so much for the meal Gohan."

"Anytime," he said as a robot on wheels began rolling in the direction of the front door. Not wanting to get lost, Videl began to follow it. As soon as she was outside and the doors closed sealing her out did she realise that she hadn't even introduced herself. _Stupid Videl, you go in take his food and you don't even give him your name,_ she thought angrily as she walked over to her house. She suddenly stopped in her tracks though as she realised a few things. _If he didn't know who I was then how could he know about my father's hatred of boys my own age? Although that is a fairly well known fact so he could have made the assumption since I said that I live next door. Wait did I even say that I lived next door? Kami I am so stupid._

She walked through her front door and closed it behind her. She walked into the kitchen where she found her father. "So did you beat up that punk?" he said as more of a statement than a question.

"No," said Videl. "Turns out he is Bulma's Godson."

"So why did it take you so long if you weren't beating him up?" Hercule asked confused about the situation.

"He invited me in for dinner," Videl said knowing what the consequences were going to be.

"WHAT! HOW DARE THAT PUNK INVITE YOU FOR DINNER WITHOUT ASKING PERMISSION FROM ME FIRST," shouted Hercule.

"I accepted because I wanted to get off on the right foot," said Videl which made Hercule calm down somewhat.

"Well that's understandable," said Hercule. "Is there anything interesting I should know about our new neighbour? How would he react if I went over and greeted him?"

"I wouldn't go see him today; when he invited me I wouldn't eat unless he let me tend to his wound."

"Wound? What Wound?"

"He'd been shot and was bleeding badly," said Videl solemnly.

"SHOT? Why didn't he go to the hospital?"

"He didn't think it was necessary."

"This kid is starting to sound a little crazy."

"Well he said that he had much worse and I believed him."

"What would make you believe him?"

"The fact that he only had one arm," stated Videl before walking off leaving Hercule speechless. She didn't feel like discussing Gohan anymore. She didn't know whether to make friends with him or not since it would almost look like unnecessary pity. She could just imagine the headlines, 'Videl Satan befriends Cell survivor.' She knew then that love rumours would sprout up and she would hate herself for it.

Her wristwatch beeping brought her back to the real world as she closed the door to her room. "What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing Videl, I just wanted to know if the man who got shot ever went to the hospital?" asked the chief.

"Not to my knowledge, I asked the clerk to contact me immediately if something comes up," said Videl.

"That's good to know Videl," said the chief before the communication was cut short by Videl. She pieced together the incident from today with the meeting she had had not an hour earlier.

"Was Gohan the one who stopped that robbery?"

...

**I'm enjoying writing this so much. Thank you to everybody who reviewed and for those who are asking about "Bounty Hunters," just wait, I'll get around to it eventually. The Burdened Muse, thank you for your comment, it put a smile on my face. Please review, more reviews mean longer chapters.**


	3. Formal Introductions

Erasa babbled on and on about the latest developments in the soapy television shows that everybody watched and how such and such made out with such and such behind such the back of such and such. Videl however had not watched the television last night; in fact she had hardly left her room. The entire night had been devoted to trying to solve the riddle that was Gohan. What she knew: His godmother was Bulma Briefs, he is strong enough to have taken a hit from Cell and survived after protecting someone, he had an incredible appetite for great food. What Videl didn't know: Everything else. Videl couldn't shake the feeling that she had only scratched the surface of her next door neighbour.

"Hey Videl," said Erasa in a slower voice, more or less a normal paced voice, "I heard you got a new neighbour."

"How the hell do you know that?" asked Videl.

"There was a rumour going around that somebody had broken into the Briefs house yesterday but he never left, so does that mean that they bought the place from Bulma? They must have a lot of money," said Erasa picking up speed.

Videl cut her off before Erasa could go too overboard. "No he's related in a way, he's Bulma's godson," she explained.

"So you met him?"

"Well...yes I met him last night. He's about our age." _Here it comes._

"Is he a cutie?"

_Bingo. _Videl hadn't really dwelled on the topic although now that Erasa had brought it up she remembered his well muscled frame but at the same time how damaged it was from experiences past. She didn't even know how someone could get so many scars and live to tell the tale. The obvious scar was something which she didn't want to bring into the conversation. "He's..." Videl struggled to find a suitable word. "Unique."

"How did he react to you?" asked Erasa.

"In what way?" asked Videl countering Erasa's question.

"How did he react to you being the daughter of your dad?" Erasa explained.

"I didn't actually introduce myself to him," admitted Videl, her voice lowering as she stated this fact.

"WHAT!" screeched Erasa. She then got up and grabbed Videl's arm. "We are going to see him right now!"

"What? No. We can't rock up uninvited," said Videl trying to get out of seeing him.

"You did yesterday," countered Erasa as she pulled out her capsualized car. Erasa pretty much shoved Videl into the seat which reminded Videl just how strong Erasa could be if she was determined. The drive was quick as Erasa showed her handling skills; Videl was convinced that Erasa could be a professional driver if she wanted to with the way she weaved in and out of traffic. Within minutes they had covered the distance and were now parked outside of the dome like building. Videl seriously didn't want to go anywhere near the front door but knew better than to fight with Erasa over this mundane issue. Well, it was mundane in Videl's eyes but Erasa always saw things differently.

Videl found herself dragged to the front door and waited for the communicator to go off. However they waited for a little under a minute but there was no communication. "Isn't there a doorbell or something?" asked Erasa.

The communicator started to crackle as communications were established. "Go away, I'm training," said the voice on the other side of the line before something which sounded like an explosion echoed in the background.

Videl started to get worried; the explosion sounded deadly serious. "Gohan what's happening in there?" she asked.

"I told you I'm training," said the voice followed by a few grunts along with another explosion or two. A brief scream of pain was heard as well which really triggered it off for Videl.

"Gohan you will let me in right this moment otherwise I will give you something to really be afraid of," she threatened.

A laugh sounded on the other side of the line before a final explosion. "Fine, I'll take a break," he said as the doors opened. This time though there was no robot to greet Videl and Erasa as the doors sealed shut behind them. They stood there for a few seconds before a robot rolled into view and signalled for them to follow them. They weren't lead as far as the kitchen but they took a much more complicated route including hopping in an elevator. Videl thought for sure that they would be going up but when the shaft started going down she realised that this place was a lot bigger than it seemed.

The door opened and the sight before Videl and Erasa was shocking; it looked like a warzone. Sprawled pieces of metal littered the ground and the walls were black from explosions. Then there was the one man in the middle, wiping the sweat off his brow with a towel with his one arm. Videl could hear Erasa gasp as she realised the lack of flesh present although since he had no shirt on everything else was visible. Videl was gasping for her own reason and it was the fact that Gohan had been badly torn up all over his torso. Cuts and bruises littered across his upper half and then there were a few cuts across his pants as well. From a certain angle one could easily say that he had just bathed in blood.

"Dear Kami Gohan what happened?" Videl asked as she and Erasa walked forward. If you listened closely you were able to hear Erasa's heartbeat increase as she eyed off the gorgeous hunk of man before her.

"What do you mean? This is my training," he answered.

"This is a form of training!" Videl exclaimed. "I don't care what you say we have to get you to a hospital now."

"Is there a reason you came here?" asked Gohan ignoring Videl's statement which infuriated her.

Erasa spoke up before Videl would yell out at Gohan although her voice was a lot more quite than its usual capacity. "My friend here was talking to me earlier about you and she mentioned that she never introduced herself. My name's Erasa by the way," she concluded.

"Name's Gohan," he said holding out his hand but there was no way Erasa was touching it with all the blood on it. "I guess we'll shake later," he said realising the problem. His attention then turned to the woman who looked like she wanted to throttle him half to death. "And you are?"

"Videl Satan," she said with her hands on her hips. "Now come with us and we'll take you to a hospital."

"I don't need to go to a hospital," Gohan countered.

"I'm siding with Videl on this one Gohan, I've never seen so much blood in my life," added Erasa.

"What makes you think that I need to go to a hospital?" asked Gohan.

"The fact that you're bleeding from everywhere," stated Videl.

"This," said Gohan pointing to the blood flowing from his sternum, "This is nothing. Now if you have nothing else to say I need to continue my training." His tone was flat and harsh, much like that of a commanding officer.

"How can you continue training? If you don't get to a hospital you're going to die of blood loss," said Videl trying to be as commanding as she could. She had never had anybody talk back to her in such a way.

Gohan chuckled slightly. "I've never been to a hospital in my life, not even when this happened," he said pointing to the missing appendage.

"How can you have not gone to a hospital?" asked Erasa. "Surely you've been sick before?"

"Once or twice I think but nothing serious," he said casually. "I've been on the brink of death more times than I can remember though." His tone was so casual that it was hard to this quote seriously.

"I say that you're on the brink of death now and if you won't come peacefully I will knock you out and drag you to a hospital bed myself," threatened Videl. Whatever effect she hoped her threat would have had was thrown out the window as Videl laughed out loud at that comment. "What's so funny? I'll beat the stuffing out of you if you're not quiet."

That only caused Gohan to laugh louder. Erasa thought now would be a good time to add her two cents. "You know you are laughing at the daughter of the world champion! If you're not careful he will come over here and makes those carvings look like paper cuts." Again the effect was lost when Gohan continued to laugh.

"I can't believe that idiot has a daughter who is almost as arrogant as he is," Gohan said with a smile as his laughter subsided. Videl didn't mind the fact that someone had insulted her father but the fact that she had been compared and thus insulted in the same sentence was unheard of. Not even the most daring of criminals dared to do something of that manner. The whole ideal was refreshing yet incredibly aggravating at the same time.

"I'll show you," said Videl through clenched teeth as she struck out at Gohan with her fist. He was still smiling as her fist was centimetres from his face, it didn't even look like he was reacting to the situation at all. Videl expected to feel the reassuring feeling of her fist to another's face but when her hand hit nothing but air she became frightened as the image of Gohan was still in front of her with her fist through the bridge of his nose.

Neither Videl nor Erasa could handle the situation as the image of Gohan vanished without a trace. They turned their heads as a cracking sound could be heard to their left where Gohan was searching through the remains of a robot. "How did you get over there?" exclaimed Videl.

"You want the simple version or the extended version," said Gohan with his back to them. Videl couldn't help but see what looked like a large tattoo imprinted on his back. There was too much blood to see what it clearly was but it looked like a circle or something of a similar sort.

"Why not both?" said Videl as Gohan found what he was looking for.

He got up and walked back over to them, throwing a small bolt to himself as he did. "Simple version: What our father calls a trick. Extended Version: An ancient technique known for hundreds of years and guarded carefully by the master Korin. The technique is known as the 'after image' technique."

"I've never heard of a master Korin," said Videl intrigued by this information. She knew Erasa would believe the simplified version but she wasn't the one to have put her fist through the image.

"Only those who know of him seek him out," stated Gohan as he placed the small metal ring on the ground. "Videl, would you say if you were in a fight with your dad that you would have a chance of beating him?"

Videl was taken back a bit by this question. She had always wanted to compare herself to her father but they had never actually battled inside the ring. "I guess we'll find out this Sunday at the tournament," she said remembering the tournament that both she and her father were entering.

"But you would at least give him a run for his money?" asked Gohan.

"I reckon it would be a close fight; what are you getting at Gohan?" asked Videl.

"Well you saw that metal ring I was tossing around so easily now at your feet, try and pick it up," he gestured. Videl looked at the ring and then back at Gohan; this had to be the stupidest test she had ever come across. She bent down and her fingers gripped the outside edge of the ring and she pulled but much to her dismay the ring didn't budge.

"Until you can move that ring you will never be able to damage me in anyway," Gohan stated coldly. He knew it weighed a couple of hundred of kilograms that was compressed in order to hold the frame of the robot together but she didn't need to know that. He watched as she struggled and brought her other hand to help but still with no result.

After struggling for a few minutes, Videl had no choice but to concede as she straightened her back. "A battle is not just judged on strength," she stated trying to make herself sound stronger.

"Speed is a major factor but if I can move from here to that robot in the blink of an eye do you think you have me covered in that department?" he teased. Videl knew that he was right but she wasn't going to give up this battle of will.

"I've been training in martial arts since I was seven years old by some of the greatest fighters in this city," she stated her claim. _Let's see him top that._

"I have been training since I was four years old by the best fighters on the planet," he said but he didn't sound proud of that fact which led Videl to doubt him.

"I don't believe you, name one of your masters that I would know of," said Videl.

"Tien Shinhan," he said with a smile.

"The winner of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament!" exclaimed Videl. "He's a legend who went missing after the next tournament. How did you train with him?"

"Well for a while he was one of my sparring partners and we've fought alongside each other as well," Gohan said remembering the good old days. Neither Gohan nor Videl noticed or cared that Erasa was now trying her hardest to pick up the ring on the ground. "He's got one of the greatest forms around but it is styled more for defensive counterattacking than anything else."

"Wow, I'd give anything to see him in action," said Videl in admiration.

"Well you might get the chance," said Gohan which threw Videl completely off track. "You said something about a tournament on this Sunday; I'll get in contact and see if he wants a shot at reclaiming his title. Now that I think about it it'll be a good opportunity to get the gang together." He finished by picking up the ring and holding it in his palm

"Wow, it sounds like there is going to be some major competition but do you really think that whoever you call up can beat the man who defeated Cell?"

Gohan's childish mood did a complete one eighty and he scowled at Videl. "I'm going to say this once, get out," he said, his words as cold as ice. Videl saw that he had clenched his fist and a fine powder now escaped from the small cracks in between his fingers mixed with fresh blood. "NOW!" he shouted exclaiming his point. Videl wanted to argue but his cold stare and the crimson blood covering his body simply said don't try anything.

"Come on Erasa," she said grabbing her friend's arm and leading her to the elevator. As she hopped in she took one final look at Gohan who simply stood there staring at the ground. As the doors were closing she watched as he knelt and punched the floor, his fist sinking half a foot into solid concrete.

"What do you think his problem was?" asked Erasa and she and Videl stepped out into the harsh sunlight.

"I think it had something to do with me mentioning Cell," Videl said trying to figure out the situation.

"Why, did Cell do something to him?" asked Erasa.

"Cell was the one who destroyed his arm," stated Videl.

"Well that explains it then," said Erasa.

"Except when he mentioned it yesterday he didn't seem to mind at all."

"Maybe it's just a guy thing, after all he had been training which means he might have had some built up anger."

"That's true Erasa." Videl knew that she wouldn't likely see Gohan again until the tournament and the mysteries surrounding him would remain hidden. What she didn't know was at the moment tears were streaming down Gohan's face.

...

**I like writing this so much, it's not funny. Hope you are enjoying it and please review. The Burdened Muse, once again you make me smile with your comments but honestly I don't believe myself to be anything other than a writer. There are better writers out there than me, I openly admit that. Unless anybody wants to review and tell me otherwise?**


	4. A Champion's Fall

A week had passed and now it was the day of the tournament. Videl had been training as hard as she could over the past week and believed she had more than surpassed her father; not only was she more agile but her attacks were almost as vicious. The fact that his 'training' had been sitting in front of the television watching his old fights might have had something to do with it as well. She knew she had a good chance of stealing the title off of her father and becoming the world champion but there was the situation of the one armed bandit who could prove a bit of a problem. Also the tattoo that she had seen on his back; was that a symbol of something or just a random tattoo he had picked out? He had said something about getting the gang together for the tournament but the godson of Bulma Briefs was unlikely to be part of a gang, her rational mind had thought.

On several occasions she had wondered about the boy next door but had seen neither hide nor hair of him. None of the maids had seen anybody leave the premises and as such she had become worried. She had researched all that he had said about the master Korin he had talked about but was unable to find any information whatsoever. Part of her believed that he had died that day and had been speaking gibberish but when she walked out the front door that morning she knew that she was mistaken.

She had been dressed for well over an hour and had stepped outside ready to take her jet copter to the tournament. Her short hair had blown in the wind; she had had it cut so that it wouldn't distract her during her fights. She had pulled out her capsule when she had noticed something on the pavement in front of her house. Upon further inspection she wanted to kick herself; it was the same metal ring that she had been unable to pick up a week ago. If there had been a psychological battle going on Gohan had just won it. Frustrated, Videl had decapsualized her jet copter and hopped in but she couldn't take her eyes off the ring on the ground. Part of her wanted to go pick it up and get it over and done with but another part of her didn't want to feel the same feeling of loss if she was unable to do so. Without wasting another second, Videl blasted off towards the tournament.

...

Videl had heard the instructions along with the rest of the competitors. Since so many combatants had signed up there would be fifteen battle royals and the winner of those battles would move on to the one on one stage. Her father, being the previous champion, had already had a spot cemented in the follow up stage and as such would be excluded from the battle royals. That didn't faze Videl, which meant she would get a chance to pound his ass in one on one combat in the final for the entire world to see. This was the one time she was happy that this competition was going to be shown live across the world since it was going to have the greatest combatants in the world competing.

All those who had entered had had their name put down on a list and then they were shuffled resulting in the match line ups. Videl didn't mind that her fight was located in the twelfth battle; it just gave her a little extra time to warm up. Of course she would watch some of the battles beforehand so she had some idea of the people she would be fighting against. Some people would likely judge her as being over confident going into her fight but she was the daughter of the champ, her place was almost sealed. Then out of the corner of her eye, she spotted him. Situated in the back corner of the campus was Gohan.

She barged her way through the crowd as the first lot of competitors went forth but was shocked when she saw who Gohan was sitting with. All around him were great competitors of previous tournaments, including the past champion Tien Shinhan himself. More or less it was slightly intimidating as she eyed off this group. A few people she didn't recognise including the child holding tightly to Gohan's leg. Those she did recognise were famous beyond belief. There was Krillen, one of the youngest competitors ever in the competition. Then there was the famous martial artist turned baseball super star Yamcha. There were several other competitors which she had never seen before and then there was the woman she aspired to, one of the greatest women to ever step into the ring, Chichi. Videl thought of Chichi as an idol, many years ago she had proven that a woman could fight when she made it all the way to the quarter finals of the tournament back in the days when it was incredibly dangerous.

That's right; the rules of the tournament had changed so much over the years making it friendlier for the competitors. Back in the old days it wasn't uncommon for the ring to be in pieces by the time the champion had been decided. Now there were so many rules in play restricting people from maiming their victims too badly.

"Winner of the first battle royal is Trunks!" announced the high spirited announcer; his voice being transmitted to the holding pen. Videl was curious; she had known several of her father's greatest trainers had been in that fight and none of them had come out victorious. She also knew that they would likely have worked together in order for one of them to make it through to the next round so the fact that they had lost meant that either someone was really crafty or really strong. The crowd began to part as the victor walked back into the holding pen and the rest of the competitors followed behind him. Shocked would be an understatement to the feeling Videl had at the current moment.

Trunks was a kid and from what Videl gathered he was no more than eight years old. She was speechless as she walked past; surely there had been some sort of mistake after all how could an eight year old kid beat men four times his age. She grabbed at one of her father's apprentices and began interrogating him. "What the hell happened?" she asked as the people in the second battle proceeded towards the ring.

Videl felt worried when the bulky man began shaking in her arms. "That kid," he said stuttering slightly, "He's a monster."

"You mean he actually won?" Videl couldn't believe it.

"It was insane," he said remembering what had happened. "Pablo, Greg and I had teamed up and eliminated everyone except for him. No one had targeted him since he was just a kid but when there only four of us left in the ring. Pablo went to go pick him up and gently toss him out of the ring but before we knew it Pablo was embedded in the brick wall on the outside of the ring. Things only went downhill from there," he finished trailing off.

Videl understood that it was painful for him to recite the fact that he had been beaten by a kid and let it slide. She looked over at Trunks but wasn't all to surprised to see that he had joined the group of elites who sat in the corner. "The winner is Goten," said the booming voice as the second battle came to an end. Videl's head quickly snapped to the arena, surely the battle hadn't been that short. When a boy who looked even younger than Trunks came skipping through singing "I won, I won," she wanted to punch something badly. How could a little kid have beaten so many people let alone how had he qualified to be in this competition? Clearly since he had won he was strong and the fact he had done it in less than a minute was the most impressive thing Videl had ever heard of but why would anyone let a little kid fight? Demanding answers, she stormed over to where Goten was standing but only realised when she had got close to him that she was the only person within a ten metre radius who clearly did not belong to this group. As one they looked at her and Videl had never felt so out of place in her life.

"Can we help you?" asked Chichi.

It took Videl a good ten seconds to find her voice. "Yes, I was wondering why you people would let such young boys fight in this competition," she said trying to make her voice sound threatening but failing miserably.

"If you haven't realised we're better than everyone here," said the lavender haired kid called Trunks.

"Someone sounds cocky," commented a blonde haired woman who was sitting around bored as a small child sat in her lap.

"It doesn't matter that you're better than most people but the fact that you are so young worries me," said Videl sounding concerned for the child's wellbeing. "Do your parents even approve of this?"

"Mum said it was alright didn't you mum," said Goten looking up at Chichi.

"Of course sweetie, no one here can stop you from winning us lots of money," said Chichi, her eyes lighting up with Zeni symbols.

Videl was stunned to say the least but she now understood why Goten was in the tournament, he was the son of one of the greatest female fighters around. But then there was still the question of the young lavender haired boy. Knowing what she was going to say Trunks spoke first. "I had a few strings pulled," he said monochromatically.

Videl didn't like that answer but knew better than to pursue it, if this kid could make it through the battle royal it meant that he could clearly take care of himself. Videl took one final look at the group before walking away, feeling their stares boring into the back of her skull. Not only was it unnerving but it terrifying as well knowing full well of the capabilities of some of those fighters.

...

The rest of the battles had gone on without a hitch, Videl cruising through her fight. At the moment the final battle was going on and Videl looked at the group in the corner, each of them had easily qualified. She had tried to watch Gohan's match but whenever anyone from that corner walked forwards towards a match it automatically caused all of the other competitors to watch the battle with awe and thus viewing space was limited. The competitors who believed that they had been beaten unfairly blamed the use of performance enhancing drugs but even steroids wouldn't help a seven year old kid lift a three hundred pound man off the ground. They were in another league and Videl knew it.

"Isn't she adorable folks and such an impressive fighter as well, give it up for the winner of the final battle royal Marron!" shouted the announcer. Most of the audience couldn't believe their eyes as they watched this little four year old girl walk out of the ring with a big smile plastered across her face. The crowd at the arena entrance parted to allow the four year old girl with beach blonde hair walk past, her expression priceless. All of the competitors who had watched on in shock parted ways in order to allow the young girl to pass on her way to her mother. Videl wanted to wake up, as if this was all just a bad dream. The son of Chichi making it through seemed barely believable at best but a girl who wasn't even up to her knees was beyond embarrassing. However this had been the only battle she had actually witnessed and as such she had seen with her own eyes this small girl toss opponents around as if they were rag dolls. The word 'sane' had been abandoned from the tournament since the first battle had begun.

"Can the remaining competitors please come to the ring," shouted the announcer. The massive crowd at the entrance parted to allow the chosen fifteen warriors to walk through. Videl walked up the stone steps, leading the remaining people. She had heard whispers spreading around, apparently she had been one of the favourites to win this tournament but now she had gone outside by a long shot, her battle having taken the tenth longest to finish. Was she embarrassed by that result? Damn right she was, the little girl Marron had even finished in a faster time than her.

The competitors lined up along the stage, the crowd cheering for their favourite warrior. That was when her father made his grand entrance. He walked forward, brandishing his title high above his head for all to see. Instantly the cheers of "Mister Satan" erupted around the stadium but after what they had witnessed some would not be surprised if the title was to be passed on today.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," shouted the announcer behind his black tinted sunglasses gathering the crowd's attention. "After witnessing some positively breath taking performances the one on one contests have finally arrived. Who will win this tournament of epic proportions? Will it be the current champion or will a new fighter step up to the plate?" Hercule laughed at the possibility of someone beating him; of course he hadn't watched any of the preliminary matches and as such didn't know what lay in store for him. The announcer continued his speech, "I have just been informed that the line up has been completed." A large board with a number of names rolled out behind him. "In the first match we have the dazzling Eighteen versus the romantic Jewel. Secondly we have the baseball star Yamcha versus the titan Goliath. Third is the one armed bandit Gohan versus the great Killa. In the fourth battle we will see the current champion Hercule going against the woman known as 'the greatest female fighter,' Chichi. In the fifth match we will see the city's crime fighter Videl battling against the all too cute Marron. In the sixth round we have the battle of the chibi's as Goten takes on Trunks. In the seventh round we have the veteran Krillen battling Mighty Mask. In the final round we have Mojito challenging the past champion Tien. Stay tuned folks, the battles will begin shortly!" The crowd erupted into a thunderous applause.

Videl smiled, if all went according to her plan she would meet her father in the final in what would be one of the greatest battles of all time. In order to make it to the finals, she would need to fight the children who were half her age starting with Marron. She honestly didn't want to hurt the young kid so maybe she would be able to bargain with her. After all it would be bad for her reputation if she went around beating up children. One of the other matches she would look forward to would be the battle against either Krillen or Tien. She knew how these two warriors were veterans of the tournament and as such would be good competition. As for her father, she was confident he could beat Chichi but that would still be a fight worth watching. As for what would happen after that she couldn't tell as she hadn't been able to see any of the other competitors in action.

Videl had a quick look at all of the fighters, those who weren't within the sacred group looked nervous as all hell besides her father while those who had been in the corner were smiling amongst one another. The chibi's were whispering excitedly to one another and the blonde woman by the name of Eighteen whispered into Marron's ears. As they started filling out to the backstage arena she felt a tug on her shorts. She looked down to see Marron. She knelt down next to her so that they were at eye level. "Can I help you?" asked Videl. Since all of the other competitors had left there were only those two left in the ring and as such the announcer pushed the microphone in between them so that the audience could hear what they were saying.

"Are you the person I'm fighting?" Marron asked, her voice causing the crowd to say how cute she was.

"Are you sure you want to fight? After all you are so young," said Videl trying to appeal to the audience. After hanging around her father for so long she had managed to pick up a few traits.

"Yep, I like fighting," Marron replied with a smile. "You know you're awfully pretty."

"Why thank you Marron."

"And mummy said that I should apolomogize now for beating you." The crowd was in mixed emotions as to what the young girl had said. Although the crowd could easily agree that this was one of the cutest things that they had ever seen.

"Do you really think you can win?" asked Videl.

The girl nodded twice. "Yep, Trunks says I'm going to beat the shit out of you," she stated not knowing what she just said. The crowd had gasped at the fact that this young girl had said such an offensive word but it was obvious she didn't even know that it was offensive.

Suddenly a voice could be heard shouting in the background. "TRUNKS! What have you been teaching my daughter?" Clearly the father of this child was angry as all hell and Marron decided to skip away to see what was wrong. Videl was shocked; she couldn't tell whether that kid had been deadly serious or just plain innocent. With that Videl walked off following Marron as the announcer played his part. As she entered the backstage she wasn't surprised to see that that Gohan and his friends had retreated back to the corner. All the other fighters had spread out, doing their last minute exercises. Videl casually walked over to her father who was eyeing off the competition. These were the only moments he ever took seriously when he was sizing up the competition.

"Videl," he announced as she got close. "How is it that I don't see any of my students or teachers here?"

"They were all beaten," she said monochromatically.

"How is that possible? I had a look at the first round of that battle royal thing and saw that three experienced trainers were in the first fight. Which of these punks won that battle?"

"The kid with the purple hair," said Videl pointing at Trunks.

Hercule summarised the situation. "I guess they must feel ashamed, after all they got beaten by a child. Which person am I fighting?"

"Chichi, the woman with the black hair."

"So that's the 'legendary' Chichi," he said with a chuckle. "It should be a good warm up fight but I'll go easy on her, after all I don't like beating up women."

"Well look at me, I'm fighting the little blonde haired girl. How she even got to this stage I don't want to know."

"Clearly her opponents took pity on her since she is so small but I know you will show no mercy, will you Videl?"

"I'll just pick her up and throw her out the ring," said Videl. It was the most basic plan for fighting the children and that way she wouldn't have to actually beat any of them up.

"Good thinking," said Hercule as the announcer called for the first round of competitors. Videl watched as both Eighteen and Jewel walked to centre stage. Before the match it looked like there were some opening comments before Jewel became incredibly frustrated. Videl watched from where she was standing, she had a good view of the fight to come. The bell rang and Jewel charged at Eighteen who looked unprepared for the battle. Videl wanted to warn her but as Jewel went to strike he was sent flying into the outside wall by a vicious kick to the chest. Easy to say the crowd and Videl were speechless. It was pretty much the same situation as Yamcha demolished Goliath and Gohan defeated Killa, both matches ending with a single blow. After only three minutes it was already time for the fourth fight between the champion and Chichi.

Videl knew her father would win, after all he was the one to beat Cell but Videl also knew Chichi would not likely go down without a fight. She watched as Hercule boasted in front of the audience stating that a woman could never beat the man who beat Cell but then Chichi retorted with something which shocked the audience. She called Hercule a fraud.

Videl didn't know what Chichi was thinking but it got Hercule fired up. Videl edged closer to the ring, standing near the announcer. From where she was standing it was clear that her father had lost his cool, Chichi's message clearly having struck a nerve. After all everybody believed that Hercule beat Cell and for somebody to announce otherwise on worldwide television was just asking for trouble. Videl knew however, if Chichi was to somehow win this fight people would begin to question Hercule and what he was capable of, the fact that he was fired up meant that he wasn't thinking straight and as such there was a possibility he would make a mistake. Somehow Videl got the feeling that Chichi had the edge in this fight.

The bell rang and the Hercule charged forward while Chichi remained motionless and Videl quickly analysed their styles. Her father's technique was the one he always used and taught his students, the famous Hercule style. Chichi's stance however was one that Videl had never seen; it had a very serpent like feel about it, her pointed fingers poised to strike at a moment's notice. She saw her dad try for the patented 'Satan Punch,' hoping to end this fight in an instance. Videl watched in awe as Chichi ducked under the blow when it was only inches away from her face and strike her father's exposed arm three times with remarkable speed and precision. Chichi rolled away creating some distance and smiled at her handiwork.

Videl wondered curiously what the attacks had even done, it looked like the attacks had bounced right off but that was when she noticed that her father could barely lift his arm. _She hit his pressure points_ realised Videl. _With those pointed fingers she is able to direct an attack at an exact location and even though there was not much force behind the blows it is their accuracy which has made all the difference._ Videl now understood why Chichi was seen as such a formidable foe as her father charged again.

Her father tried a simple swinging kick as he neared Chichi. With expert timing, Chichi flipped over his leg which left his back wide open. Faster than Videl could comprehend a flurry of blows were landed on her father's back. Hercule showed no signs of pain but that was when Chichi clapped her hands twice. As if with perfect timing, Hercule collapsed to the floor finding that none of his muscles responded to what he wanted them to do. Try as he might he was unable to get up as the announcer began to count to ten. The audience held their breath, knowing if Hercule didn't get up before the 'ten count' he would be eliminated. Videl saw that Hercule managed to regain some movement but by that time it was too late as the announcer shouted "TEN! Hercule has been defeated, the winner is Chichi and that means a new champion will be crowned today!" The crowd and Videl were in shock. Hercule, the champion of the world, had been defeated.

...

**What an exhausting chapter! I hope nobody minds the length; I'm making up for my lack of updates. Don't blame me, I've been busy with assignments. To answer a few things, the reason he didn't wish for his arm back is because he wanted the lack of an arm to be a painful reminder to never be foolish in battle. As for the bullet back at the beginning, yes he was suppressing his energy so that he didn't show off any overly superhuman strength even though he did flip a car after he got shot. Finally, I chose Gohan to mention Tien to Videl because it would be a fighter she would instantly recognise who it was. Until next time, please review; reviews make me happy.**


	5. Size Clearly Doesn't Matter

The silence was deafening, not a single soul stirred in their seats. The champion, the one whom the city had been named after, had been defeated in the centre of the ring. Through their minds they could all contemplate what had occurred but it was unbelievable. Chichi neither boasted in her victory nor did she relish the fact that she had taken down the 'strongest man in the world.' Not only were the people at ringside stunned, but all those across the globe tuning into the event had their mouths gaping open.

Bookies rejoiced in the fact that the champion had fallen. The martial arts tournament was always a good way for poor saps to make money and only those chasing long shots wouldn't have bet on Hercule. As such, they quickly worked away trying to figure out who the next favourite would be. The obvious choice would fall onto Chichi's shoulders but at the same time there were a number of other competitors who hadn't even had their first one on one match. Looking at the line up there were many possible favourites, including the past champion Tien Shinhan. A few people instantly picked him as favourite as he was one of the veterans of the ring. That and the fact nearly every time he entered the ring it was destroyed in some way shape or form.

Chichi walked down the stairs, proud of the fact that she had gotten revenge. After all, if it wasn't for that loud mouth, arrogant bastard it would have been totally plausible for her son to have taken the rewards that were rightfully his. Had those news reporters not been so stupid to realise that there was no possible way for Hercule to win the battle against Cell everything could have been different. Everything could have been perfect.

Videl was the only person in the audience who hadn't seen this as a major upset. While it still came as a shock that her father had been defeated in the ring, she could see how Chichi's tactics had won the battle for her. Only she knew the truth that her father had not be training in the slightest for this tournament and this was his punishment. Meanwhile Chichi was well known for her drastic training techniques but she had vanished after the tournament where she had made her best result. Videl had researched that fact well, she had left the tournament hand in hand with the champion of the tournament, Son Goku. Since she had married one of the strongest men on the planet, of course she was going to get stronger herself. But that raised one very important question.

"Where's Goku?"

Videl had asked the question out loud but nobody was really paying attention as her father was being taken out of the ring by officials. All these questions she would have to figure out at a later date because the announcer was summoning her to the stage along with the pint sized Marron. With the loss to her father, Videl had forgotten the fact that she was scheduled in the next match against an opponent a quarter her size and age. _How am I meant to go into this fight? If I beat her up then people will dislike me but if I give up then people will lose their faith in me._ Videl was deeply confused; she couldn't mentally prepare herself to be in a fight in front of millions of people with a little girl. She was so deeply in thought that she hadn't realised that her body had acted on its own and now she was standing centre stage. The ding of the bell brought her back to reality and she quickly got into a stance.

"Yay! I get to fight," squealed the little girl in delight and all eyes fell on the four year old blonde girl who wanted to fight. There wasn't a single person in the audience whose heart didn't give in to the joy of the young girl.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Videl making sure that Marron had every intention of going through with this.

"Are you strong?" asked Marron.

"Yes, of course I'm strong," boasted Videl. _Dear Kami I sounded like my father._

"Then yes, I want to fight you," stated Marron getting into a stance. Videl tried to analyse a weakness in the young girl's stance but for a girl so young her defence looked impenetrable. Videl was slightly taken back when the young girl charged at her at a speed which shouldn't be possible for one so young. Jumping off the ground, Marron got remarkable height as she kicked at Videl's head. Totally unprepared, Videl could only barely lift her arm to take the blow but it was not enough of a defence to prevent her from getting knocked back a few steps. However what was most shocking to the audience was watching the little girl drop a metre and a half and land flat on her back.

_She's four years old and doing more advanced moves than what I knew at twice, maybe even three times her age,_ thought Videl before she realised that Marron wasn't moving and her eyes were closed. The crowd gasped as they realised that the little girl must have hit her head on the way down and knocked herself out. "Hey are you alright?" asked Videl lowering her guard and crouching next to Marron. She reached out with her right hand just as Marron's eyes shot wide open. Before anybody realised what had happened, Marron grabbed at Videl's wrist and twisted it behind her back before using her legs to gar at Videl's free arm and effectively tucked her feet under Videl's exposed shoulder. Without any forward support Videl collapsed face first into the tiles in a very painful submission perfectly suited for Marron's short size.

"Mummy told me to never show weakness in front of the enemy," grunted Marron as she applied more pressure to the hold. Videl was dumbstruck, not only was she being given lessons by a four year old but she had been bested by that very girl on live television.

_She tricked me the little witch, _thought Videl as she struggled to get to her feet. Despite Marron's small stature her grip was firm and she would not let go of the hold. Videl could feel Marron's shoes pushing up against her shoulder socket which prevented a great deal of blood flow to her arm. Videl could only see one way out of this hold and even though it was dirty she needed to pay back the girl for playing such a dumb trick on her. Without hesitation, Videl started rocking her body and got enough momentum to roll onto her back.

Videl had thought that Marron would have taken the opportunity to escape but when she was able to feel the pintsized body underneath her she couldn't help but be afraid. Although a sharp pain to her shoulder quickly made her realise that Marron still had the hold in place, in fact the hold had gotten tighter than before. Videl bit back a scream of pain as she sat up, hoping that gravity would pry the girl loose, but alas, to no effect.

"Do you give up?" asked Marron, her cute voice clashing with her strong persona.

"I won't give up," said Videl through gritted teeth.

"If I apply anymore pressure to your left arm it will likely pop out of place," said Marron showing her extensive knowledge of the human body. While Krillen and Eighteen had been teaching Marron how to fight in order to fend off the island pervert, Gohan had taught her most of a human's weak points and how to use them to her advantage. Her knowledge on this had come quite in handy in her spars with Goten. Even though she always lost she was able to weaken him significantly. Becoming stronger was her passion and living on a solo island with only a few other inhabitants meant that there weren't many other distractions.

"I said I won't give up," shouted Videl believing that the little girl wouldn't go through with such a rotten plan. A sharp jolt of pain and a scream escaping from her lips told her otherwise.

"I warned you," said Marron as she leapt from Videl's torso to land safely on the ground. Videl couldn't help but scream in pain as she jarred her shoulder back into place. It was painful and the arm hurt like all hell but at least it was able to move again. Videl got into her stance, now knowing the little girl's capabilities. She could hear the crowds screaming for more action, cheering for either of the two female warriors.

Videl went on the attack and charged forward but came to the realization that all of her attacks were designed for people taller than her since she was actually quite small for her age. So she threw a punch down at the little girl who just watched the punch come at her. Moving by the barest of margins, Marron evaded the blow as Videl's arm followed through. Using her opponent's momentum to her advantage, Marron grabbed at Videl's forearm with one hand and used her other hand to push Videl's legs up. The crowd watched stunned at Videl was flipped forward and landed painfully on her back.

Dazed and confused, Videl felt her weakened arm being lifted off the ground. "You're not that strong," mocked Marron as she held onto Videl's arm prepared to deal another blow. Videl felt utterly insulted that this girl not only had wiped the floor with her but now she was saying that she was superior in strength. Videl reached up with her free hand and grabbed at Marron's wrist and pulled with all her might yet the girl wouldn't budge. _What's going on? It's not like she weighs anything, is it her own willpower holding her firm?_

"Just for you I'll end this now," said Marron and before Videl could act Marron drove her foot into the base of Videl's neck. As the blow connected Videl's world sunk into darkness.

...

"Where...where am I?" asked Videl groggily as light pierced through the slits between her eyelids.

"Ah you're awake," said a nearby nurse as she checked a clipboard. "Much earlier than your father I might add."

"My father," said Videl not understanding.

"Yes, after his battle he lost the will to struggle and simply slipped into an unconscious state," explained the nurse. "Don't worry; he'll be up within an hour or two."

Videl threw the sheet covering her body off and found her arm resting within a sling. Part of her wanted to argue against it but she knew that her 'adjustments' may have just made the damage even more severe than what it already was. "So... what have I missed?"

"They're up to the second semi-final I believe," said the nurse. "You're free to go and watch but just don't overdo yourself."

Without a moment's hesitation, Videl was on her feet and charging out of the infirmary, but a nearby explosion caused the ground to shake and she lost her footing. "A terrorist attack?" she quickly thought causing her to charge towards the ring as she got back to her feet. She rounded the final corner into the backstage arena to find all of the members of the 'special squad' as she had named them, standing near the arena entrance watching the battle. Videl quickly wondered if they had even felt the shockwave when she felt something tug on her leg. Looking down she saw the cute face of Marron staring back at her.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," Marron apologized.

"It was a fight, that's what is meant to happen," said Videl.

"Yep, that's why I like fighting so much," said Marron with a broad smile.

Before Videl could counter another voice entered the fray. "Marron quick you've got to come see this," beckoned Goten who was sitting on top of Gohan's shoulder. Marron quickly ran over and as if sensing her peril, Eighteen picked up Marron and held her in her arms. Videl got a clear look at the backs of all the fighters and found that Yamcha's shirt had been badly torn, revealing a tattoo imprinted on his back. Videl couldn't tell what it was since the remains of his shirt covered most of the tattoo but the parts which weren't covered simply showed a circle, identical to the one that Gohan had.

..._Flashback..._

"_You want the simple version or the extended version," said Gohan with his back to them. Videl couldn't help but see what looked like a large tattoo imprinted on his back. There was too much blood to see what it clearly was but it looked like a circle or something of a similar sort._

..._End Flashback..._

"And the winner is Tien Shinhan!" shouted the announcer as the winner was announced. The crowd roared ferociously, they were getting the show of a lifetime.

"I guess experience is the winner," muttered Krillen who had been analysing the battle.

"Although I will say that Trunks put up one hell of a fight," added Yamcha.

"Would those warriors backstage please come to the centre ring?" asked the announcer and the group walked forward with Videl trailing a little behind them. Videl couldn't help but notice that she was the only one outside of this small group, the other competitors having been beaten too badly to walk without support.

Videl stepped onto the stone ring, following the group who lined up along the ringside edge nearest the entrance they had come through. Standing in the centre of the ring was Tien and opposite him was Gohan. Videl however cared very little as she looked at the ring or what remained of the ring. Giant chunks of concrete lay sprawled across the ground and more than a handful craters were situated across the top of the ring. Parts of the surrounding wall had begun to collapse as well, but most impressively was the giant split which had clean severed the ring in two.

"What the hell happened here?" swore Videl under her breath.

...

**Sorry to say I'm going on a little holiday for the weekend and as such it will be unlikely that I will update before next Thursday. There's still the chance that I might update, knowing the speed which I am capable of updating but at the same time I don't want to rush myself. Anyway please review and if you would be so kind would it be possible for all those who read to answer the poll on my profile page as it will affect my next batch of brewing stories. Much obliged.**


	6. The True Champion?

"Ladies and Gentlemen," shouted the announcer into the microphone. "You have seen what could possibly go down as the greatest tournament in history! We have seen tournament veterans and mere children overcome unspeakable odds. Now witness as the champion is decided between the past champion, Tien Shinhan and his opponent, the one armed bandit, Gohan Son!" The crowd erupted into a thunderous applause as they cheered for their favourite. They didn't care that Hercule wasn't going to be the champion again, they only cared that they had seen the battles of the century.

"Due to the ring being in the state it is in," continued the announcer behind his black sunglasses, "It has been decided that ring-outs will not be included in the ways a champion will be decided. In other words, this tournament will be decided by submission or knock out! Not like ring-outs would matter with these fighters, am I right? Any final words for your opponent?" asked the announcer.

The microphone was shoved into Tien's hand and he looked at it for a moment as the eliminated contestants lined up against a nearby wall. Videl couldn't help but be a little nervous when she stopped next to a crater. "Gohan, are you sure you want to go through with this?" asked Tien as he tossed the microphone to Gohan.

Gohan skilfully caught the device in his hand and brought it to his mouth. "Positive Tien, let's make the most of it," he replied which caused the two warriors to smile. Gohan tossed the microphone to the side and clasped hands with Tien, shaking as a sign of mutual respect.

"With that, ladies and gentlemen, BEGIN!" Videl watched as Tien and Gohan broke away and formed their respective stances. Before she could even realise they had moved she felt a gust of wind from the force of their fists connecting with one another. Videl watched, or tried to watch, as Tien and Gohan exchanged blow after blow, their defence impenetrable. The rate at which they were throwing attacks at one another was astounding, only a blur to Videl's eyes. But that was when she realised that none of their feet were touching the ground. At first she thought it was just due to the speed they were fighting at but the more she looked at it the more she realised that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.

She felt a rough hand wrap itself around the back of her neck and push her to the ground just as a body was impaled into the wall forming a sizable crater. "What did you do that for?" she asked before seeing the body lying above her.

"You can thank me later for saving your life," Yamcha said with a smile as Tien leapt from the hole and landed on the ring. Videl slowly got to her feet and looked at the two warriors who were staring at each other. That was when Videl saw it, the tattoo on Tien's back in all its glory. A circle, the tattoo imprinted on Tien's back was a circle with four stars etched around it. Videl quickly memorised it as Tien and Gohan charged at each other faster than she could comprehend. They exchanged blows for several minutes, neither giving the other any time to rest as the crowd cheered at the top of their lungs. Gohan's hand reached forth and Tien grabbed it with his two hands and Videl thought she saw Gohan's lips move as if signalling something. Tien's head nodded slightly as he launched Gohan into the sky. Videl gasped as she lost sight of Gohan as he rocketed upwards using his own ki to propel himself forward. Videl turned her attention to Tien who simply looked upwards but before she realised what was happening he vanished. A few moments passed and Videl couldn't figure out for the life of her where he had gone. She looked at the other competitors around her and saw them all looking upwards. Confused, Videl followed their line of sight to see a body plummet down into the centre of the ring causing chunks of concrete to disperse in all directions.

Videl squealed and looked away as chunks of mortar flew through the air towards her. However there was no impact and she looked forward to see Marron hovering there. It took Videl a few seconds to realise that Marron was at least three feet off the ground. "Mummy, why didn't you tell me how much energy ki shields took?" she asked as she turned towards Eighteen and slowly descended to the ground.

"Normally sweetie when protecting yourself they don't take up much energy but the fact that you protected the girl behind you as well meant it would take more out of you," explained Eighteen as Marron leapt into her arms. Videl heard everything but didn't understand a single thing as if they had been speaking a different language. Deciding she would figure it all out at a later date she turned towards the ring and gasped at the sight of it. Rubble was all that remained of the ring with Gohan's body lying in the centre with large chunks of concrete lying on top of him. The announcer began his ten count as Tien slowly descended through the air and landed next to Gohan. Videl swore that Gohan should have been dead after such an impact but after seeing him in his training room a week ago she knew it would take a lot more than that to kill him.

"Hey Goten why isn't your brother getting up?" asked Trunks barely loud enough for Videl to overhear.

"I think he made some bargain with Tien beforehand if they were to meet each other in the final," explained Goten a little too loudly, Videl hearing every word. _Gohan's throwing the match?_ She thought as the announcer neared the final numbers.

"Eight...Nine...Ten! There it is ladies and gentlemen, the winner by knockout and the new champion of the world is TIEN SHINHAN!" The announcer shouted as the audience broke out into a thunderous applause. Videl looked at Tien who didn't seem all that happy about winning the tournament which only made her think even more that the fight had been set up. A hand burst up from out of the rubble and Tien took it in his hand before pulling Gohan to his feet. They looked at each other for a moment before embracing one another in a hug which only made the audience cheer even louder. As they broke their embrace the announcer made his way through the destruction with the championship belt in his hand and offered it to Tien. Tien grabbed it with one hand and looked at it for a while before lifting it high above his head for the world to see. Gohan took a few steps backwards and clapped (beating his hand on his chest) for his friend as did all the warriors on the outside of the ring. That was when Videl saw Gohan's tattoo clearly. His shirt had been torn off underneath all the rubble and now his back was clearly visible showing the circular tattoo with two stars in it. Videl noted how it was almost identical to Tien's tattoo and most likely Yamcha's as well. A sudden realisation hit her and she looked at the people surrounding her. _Are they all in on this?_

"Due to the technology leant to us by Capsule Corps; the video of the tournament will be available for purchase in two days time. I hope you enjoyed today's tournament, I know I have! Until next time see you later," said the announcer signing off. Videl watched from the sidelines as all the competitors around her walked forward and congratulated Tien for his win. As one they walked out of the arena as the audience started to file out. Videl stood there still for a moment trying to figure out what she had missed out while she was out cold but knew she wouldn't be able to figure anything out until she got her hands on a copy of the tournament. A few seconds after the others walked through the walkway, Videl charged after them but upon rounding around the final corner to the backstage arena she found that they had all vanished; not a soul remained.

...

That night was a tough one for Videl and her father. Immediately after regaining consciousness and making up a believable story, Hercule told his fans that he went easy on Chichi due to the fact that she was a woman. People asked him about the claims she had made about him being a fake to which he replied that he may have lost some strength after beating Cell and as such he wasn't as strong as he was when he defeated the monster. The masses seemed to believe him and that was that although a few people still questioned his actions. They had witnessed the ex-"World's Strongest Man" and his daughter defeated by a woman and a small girl respectively. Videl could always say that she had thrown the match as she didn't want to attack the small girl but she knew if people asked her she would say the truth, that she had gotten beaten fair and square. Videl wished though, that she could understand what had happened just a little bit more. All the people she asked where in a semi-state of shock as they let all of the information on what had occurred sink in and thus she could get very little details out of them.

Now Videl had to face the fact that school was restarting the next day. The doctors had cleared her of having any long lasting damage on her arm and as such she could take it out of its sling the next day. She knew not to do anything too stressful with it otherwise risking damaging it once again. It had been a shock to discover that she had been defeated by a four year old girl but her knowledge on the topic was something extraordinary. Then there was the unbelievable fact that she had been floating in the air in front of her and had been talking about a ki shield or something like that. Videl knew she was going to be asked a million and one questions at school, most of them due to the fact that she had been defeated but she swore that she would tell the truth in this situation. Then there was the police situation, how would they react? Would they still call her for assistance after witnessing her performance? Only time would reveal the answers.

Videl decided that she would question Gohan directly about the tattoo on his back and what it meant. If it was the symbol for some criminal organization she didn't know how she would react. The fact that at least three people had similar tattoos meant that they had some form of connection to one another and the fact that they were all incredibly strong meant that this was something to be careful of. The other question she needed to ask was if Gohan threw the match. She knew that being in Gohan's bad books was the worst situation which could occur, especially since he lived just next door and could fight on after being on the brink of death. All of her answers would need to be found at a later date as she got herself ready for bed.

...

Videl hated the situation she was facing. Nearly everyone in class had asked her what had happened and she had answered truthfully but they didn't believe her. _Of course, _thought Videl as she answered another question, _who would possibly think that Videl Satan would be beaten by a little girl? I should've faked a doctor's certificate or something._

"Alright class, settle down now," said the teacher as he stood at the front of the class. "We are graced with a new student today who aced all of his entrance exams." A lot of snickering and the occasional nerd comment left the students' lips but all of it stopped as the student walked in. Videl hadn't cared about how smart the student was but when she saw who it was her jaw dropped a few inches. He stood there in casual khaki pants a tight fitting white shirt and a black jacket. In one hand he held all of his books while with his other arm he gave the class a small wave. "Class, I would like you to meet Son Gohan." The class gasped as they looked at Gohan, the man who had come second in the tournament the previous day with one more arm than he had the previous day.

...

**The champion has been decided and Videl is as confused as ever. Now that Gohan has miraculously appeared with both arms intact what does this mean? What is the significance of the tattoos? I know and you don't. So stay tuned and find out when I next update. Please review and if you haven't voted in my poll please do so. Until next time.**


	7. The New Student

Gohan walked silently up the staircase as the class stared at him in wonder as if he was the spitting image of Kami. His sensitive hearing could pick up whispers between class mates but he simply brushed them to the side, ignoring them as best he could. One voice he couldn't shake however and it was coming from the woman who thought she had known him the best. Blocking it from his mind, Gohan sat down next to Erasa in the only available seat as the teacher did his best to calm down the class.

"Hey champ in the making," flirted Erasa. "I didn't know you were coming here; you should have told me sooner."

"If you don't have anything important to say then leave me alone," said Gohan through gritted teeth causing Erasa's lips to become sealed. Videl however didn't enjoy the feeling of her best friend being threatened before her very eyes.

"Look mister, you're new here and you came second in the championship yesterday but you were sporting some major wounds by the time you left. If you so much as talk to Erasa in that tone again I will beat you to within an inch of your life," she said through gritted teeth.

"Is that metal ring still out the front of your house?" asked Gohan calmly causing Videl's mouth to shut. He then looked over at Videl with a menacing glare. For those watching this confrontation in the classroom, they had known Videl for her ferocious glares which could cause even the manliest of men to lose their nerve. The glare however that Gohan was giving was sending chills to their bones even though they weren't the target. Videl had cracked after only a second and now wanted to be nowhere near Gohan even if it meant going on one of her father's promotional tours. Although now that he was no longer champion she doubted that there would be many of them.

Videl opened her mouth to counter but Gohan's glare only intensified and she felt as if her blood had frozen over. Looking away from Gohan she tried to concentrate on what the teacher was talking about but her mind kept wondering over to the boy sitting two seats down. She dared not look, not wanting the same feeling which had chilled her to the bone to fill her being once more. As the class droned on and on Videl became more and more paranoid about the person sitting near her when an unpleasant sound met her ears. Videl looked over to see Gohan sleeping in the back of his chair as if he already knew everything the teacher was talking about. Videl was about to speak up when Erasa slid a note over to Videl.

Curious, Videl looked at Erasa who whispered, "He told me to give it to you." Her curiosity peaking, Videl opened the note to see Gohan's handwriting. _Dear Videl, if you receive this then that means I am sleeping. As such, if you do anything to disturb me I will crush your bones to dust. Sincerely Gohan._

Videl angry, that would be an understatement as the steam bellowed out of her ears. Her rage was quelled however as the bell rang signalling the end of the period. Videl packed up her things and shot a quick look over at where Gohan was sitting to find that he was already walking down the steps to the door. This was the same procedure for the next period and even the one after that where Gohan would fall asleep in the middle of class as if it was nothing. As the bell sounded for the beginning of lunch Videl stayed behind momentarily to ask the teacher a couple of questions.

"Excuse me Miss," said Videl as she approached her history teacher.

"What can I do for you Videl?" she asked.

"I want to know why you allowed the new student to sleep through your entire lecture without punishment," stated Videl as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Principals orders, apparently it's due to his work commitments."

"Work commitments? That's no excuse especially since he only just moved here he wouldn't even have a casual after school job."

"According to the note we all received he works for a private contractor until the early hours of the morning."

_Working until the early hours of the morning with a contract? The mafia? _Videl thought trying to figure out what job Gohan would have which would cause him to need to be working until the first morning rays. "Do you have that note with you?" she asked the teacher.

"I think it would be better to just speak with the principal directly, I'm sure he knows more than I do," said the teacher as she finished packing up her files. "Now if you'll excuse me." Videl stepped to the side allowing the teacher to pass through into the crowded corridor.

...

"Do you get this eerie feeling around him?" asked Erasa as she ate a bit of the salad she had brought to school for lunch.

"It's unnerving," said Sharpner in response; he too had been badly affected by the glare when he had tried to communicate with an actual fighter.

"There's something not right about the whole situation," said Videl trying to keep her calm. Even though she looked composed on the outside, on the inside she shat herself whenever Gohan sent one of those unnerving glares in her direction.

"Well he showed on the weekend that he isn't afraid to put his body on the line," said Sharpner. "I entered the tournament thinking that after training with Hercule I might have had a shot but I was put in the rumble with him and he cleared up anyone who came within a ten foot radius. I get the feeling he's the kind of guy who just does what he's meant to do without considering who gets hurt along the way."

"Well we've got to try to make him fit in somehow," said Erasa with a massive morale boost. "As the executive chair person of the school committee I will make it my mission to make sure that he has a date for spring fling."

"Spring Fling? Is that what you're calling it?" asked Videl.

"Well whenever the teachers come up with a name for the dance it is always so boring," complained Erasa.

Sharpner shrugged. "I'll have to leave that in your department then, I would ask him to join the boxing club but something tells me he's a little out of our league. After getting hit by him yesterday I'd hate to see what he is like when he is serious," he said massaging his jaw.

"What do you mean when he is serious?" asked Videl remembering how she had thought that Gohan had thrown away the title oppurtunity.

"Well in the rumble it just seemed as if everything was half hearted, as if he had so much more to give but he was holding back," explained Sharpner. "When I was watching his round against that Eighteen woman I could hardly keep up with their movements they were moving so fast."

"What about his battle with Chichi? Surely that would have been an interesting bout?"

"It would have been if Chichi hadn't forfeited," said Sharpner solemnly.

"One of the greatest female fighters in the world gave up after defeating my dad!" exclaimed Videl. Once upon a time she had classified herself in that category but after getting hammered by Marron she wasn't so sure anymore.

"Yea it was weird," added the clueless Erasa. "One moment it looks like they are about to fight and then they hug each other before she walks out of the ring."

"Bizarre," said Videl as the bell sounded signalling the end of lunch.

...

Videl gathered her gym clothes out of her locker and her hand brushed against the cold metal within. Unlike the metal locker, this metal was smooth and ready to load. Even though she despised the use of weapons, the police force had given her a handgun in case the school came under hostage situation and there was no other alternative.

Ignoring the weapon, Videl closed her locker and made her way to gym. Today they were doing simple weight training which Videl thought it would be good for the professional instructor to give her details on where she should focus. After getting changed she headed to the weights room where she found most of the class already waiting. She noticed Gohan who looked bored as anything as he inspected the equipment. He was wearing a traditional navy blue Gi with red wrist bands.

"Hey teach," he said gathering the teacher's attention as he sent the class off to do random drills. "Is it alright if I use the equipment I brought? It makes me feel a bit more comfortable."

"By all means," said the teacher knowing better than to get in the way of Gohan. Videl worked away at a nearby punching bag, sending kick after kick at it but she couldn't help but be curious as a puff of smoke appeared before vanishing to reveal a punching bag held up by supportive braces.

Gohan calmed himself before punching with the arm which hadn't been there the previous day. Videl saw that the bag had hardly moved at all and it looked like Gohan was frustrated with something. He reached over and grabbed the arm by the shoulder before pulling sharply and removing the arm from his body. Many of the girls squealed but Videl realised that it was a robotic arm which connected to a metal plate placed over his shoulder. "Weak piece of junk," said Gohan as he tossed the arm behind him causing it to crash into the ground. A few of the curious guys went over to check out the fake arm but when none of them could do as much as move it Videl became worried.

Without hesitation, Gohan unleashed onto the punching bag as if there was no tomorrow, the supporting beams shaking slightly from the bag swinging back and forth. Most of the class stopped what they were doing and simply watched as Gohan delivered hell to the unfortunate piece of equipment. Slowly, his actions became faster and faster until they were nothing more than a blur. After a solid thirty minutes Gohan took a breather and dabbed at his forehead with a damp towel. He told the teacher he needed to get a drink and didn't bother waiting for an answer before walking out of the room.

Not wanting to be outdone, Videl walked up to the punching bag and inspected it. It seemed normal but she could tell that there was something wrong with it. One of the prime members of the boxing club walked up and delivered a powerful right hook which would have knocked a normal punching bag a foot or two; this one didn't even budge at the slightest. He did scream out in pain however as he realised that one or two of his knuckles had likely been broken in the progress. As he and the teacher nursed his wounds a group of ten guys walked up to the bag and tried to push it upwards with no such luck.

"That bag weighs about four tonne," said Gohan from the doorway as he watched their pitiful attempts.

"Four tonne!"

"Impossible!"

"How could you move it and we can't?"

Gohan chuckled slightly as he walked over and capsualized the equipment. "Quite simple really," he explained. "I'm stronger than you."

"You may be stronger than a few of us but not strong enough to knock a four tonne bag around as if it was nothing."

"No, it's just that I train in extreme conditions on a regular basis," said Gohan as he picked up his robotic arm and locked it onto his shoulder. He then pulled off the two wristbands and held them in his palms. "Even today during lessons I have been training. These waistbands I've been wearing underneath my clothes, each one weighs roughly five hundred kilograms." While his words were hard to swallow the way he said it made it so imaginable. "This robotic arm weighs a solid tonne and this training Gi I am wearing now weighs five tonnes."

"How is it possible to carry around seven tonnes of weight as if it was nothing?" asked Videl.

"Let's just say it has something to do with the demon blood inside of me," said Gohan as the bell rang leaving the students confused. He started to make his way to the door but Videl stepped in his way.

"I've got one question for you and I want you to answer truthfully," said Videl causing everyone to look at the two warriors. There was a brief silence as Videl took a deep breath. "Did you throw the championship match yesterday?"

Everyone stared at Gohan who chuckled slightly. "Was it really that easy to see?" he asked to no one in particular before his happy mood faded into his normal serious expression. "In answer to your question, yes I did throw the match." Before Videl could ask any more questions Gohan pushed her to the side gently and walked out of the room leaving all of the students stunned.

_Why, why would you throw away the championship Gohan? What did you mean by demon blood? I swear Gohan I will get all the answers I'm after even if it kills me._

_..._

**Sorry for the delay folks but I'm back on track. I've got exams coming up so that may cause some interference in the nearby future but hopefully nothing major. Anyway, as usual please review and tell me what you think.**


	8. Escort

Videl stared into the wall, her thoughts a jumble of crazy images, most of which were directed at the boy next door. He had admitted to throwing the battle against Tien but why would someone throw away an opportunity to be champion of the world? _Why Gohan? You could have had the world at your fingertips ye t you chose to allow the past champ to reclaim his title._ There was always the possibility that Gohan lied about throwing the bout but just his tone of voice when he had said it spoke wonders on their own. There was no sense of regret and no shame in admitting what he had done. Even when he was mentioning how much each of his pieces of training equipment weighed there was no trace of doubt, no lie. Even though the truth was hard to believe, there was no doubt that it was the truth.

Videl recalled her conversation with the chief of police. She had asked him to do a thorough on Gohan. She had remembered that he was Gohan Son from the day of the tournament and while files had emerged for Goku Son and his wife Chichi, there was no available data on Gohan. The chief of police was baffled; there was no date of birth, no medical records (Videl briefly recalled Gohan saying that he had never been to a hospital), nothing of any importance. There were the newspaper articles about him fighting in the tournament but there were no background details unlike the majority of the fighters. He was a mystery through and through, and Videl didn't like not knowing anything about someone.

Her head quickly shot up as she realised a possibility. _What if he goes under the name Gohan Son as an alias?_ The thought was plausible; she had figured that he was part of some underground gang due to the fact of the similar tattoo that he shared with several fighters. But those fighters were all highly respected individuals, heck most of them were in attendance at the Cell games wanting a chance to take on Cell but her father beat them to the punch. Although ever since the tournament her father had become unusually silent.

Without being crowned the champion it had weighed heavily on him. People were now questioning whether or not he was truly the champion of the world due to the fact he had been taken out so easily during the tournament. If what was claimed was true, then he had weakened significantly over seven years. It was true that around his age he would start to get weaker, but not as much so that he would be eliminated in a fight without landing a single blow. Videl, and the media, were starting to question Hercule and it was slowly causing him to question himself.

"Okay, focus Videl," she said to herself. "What do you know about that tattoo?" Truth was she didn't know that much and it infuriated her. A scan through police files saw that it didn't match any gangs known and that made it even scarier. If the tattoo was a gang symbol, there was no knowing the number of members nor if they were as strong as Gohan claimed he was. She knew that of the members she had seen their tattoo had had a different number of stars, was it a symbol for who was the strongest in the group? _If Gohan's the second strongest and he is strong enough to lift seven tonne then who knows how strong the number one is. _She figured that all of the people who had been at the tournament were in on it, including the four year old who beat her.

Remembering the loss she had suffered bought rage through her body. She wanted to become stronger, her father was in no state to tackle a gang head on and without any proof the police would be unable to do anything. Therefore it was only her and this conspiracy theory. There had to be some secret shared around with this gang which allowed her to be defeated by Marron. When she had tried to pull Marron she wouldn't budge as if her willpower to remain where she was, meaning it was greater than Videl's strength alone. Also even though she would never admit it, when Tien had fought Gohan in the fixed final, she had sworn that both of them were hovering slightly above the ground, as if the laws of gravity had no effect on them.

Videl wanted answers but the more she thought about the possibilities it showed how little she actually knew. Then there was no doubt that Marron had been floating when she mentioned something about 'Ki shields' to her mum. What was ki? Was it what connected them all together? Her thoughts were distracted when her wristwatch started to beep.

"What is it chief?" she said into the communicator.

"You have been assigned to a very special job for tomorrow, we have already notified your school and they are willing for you to have the day off," explained the chief.

"What job is this?" asked Videl.

"Tomorrow at noon, the Chinese Emperor is coming to talk business with Capsule Corps. You will be there to pick him up and escort him wherever he wishes to go," stated the chief.

"Understood," said Videl cutting off the connection. While she had hoped somewhere was being robbed so she could take her frustrations out on something this was still an important job. The fact she got the day off of school was an added bonus as well. Then something clicked.

"What if Capsule Corps is the link?" Again as she weighed through the possibilities in her mind she found that this one fitted in with the plausible section. After all, Gohan was the godson of the executive of Capsule Corps and as such he would have access to all kinds of technological devices, such as his robotic arm.

Slowly, sleep started to overcome her and she realised she was going to get no answers today. Also she needed to be ready for her important role tomorrow. At least this would get her some respect back.

...

Videl hated this for more than the fact she had been standing perfectly still for the last half an hour. Her maids believed she needed to look her best for royalty and such she had been dressed up more than Erasa on prom night. She was wearing an elegant gown which her father had bought her for a dinner party which she never attended. Despite her resistance, her face was now plastered with makeup of every colour to match her complexion. She had become the very thing she hated.

The private helicopter landed on the airfield and the ladder from the door dropped down. Videl took one look at the emperor and almost face palmed. While she had spent all this time looking nice and dressed up, he was wearing casual black pants, a blue singlet and a black beanie with a red ball on the top. Another thing which shocked Videl was how he descended from the helicopter. Instead of walking down the steps majestically as she had envisioned, he leapt from the top step, did a front flip and landed on the ground perfectly.

Videl was shocked, so were all those in attendance that were to build the private escort. Whatever expectations they had of royalty were shattered in an instance as he walked up to them. Now Videl was short for her age but here was this full grown adult who wasn't even up to her waist. "Do you know where my friend is?" he asked almost childlike.

"Are they waiting for you at Capsule Corps your majesty?" Videl asked trying to be polite.

"Most of them although one of them is meant to pick me up," he said as concentrated on something.

"We were instructed to take you to Capsule Corps your majesty," explained Videl.

"That won't be necessary," he said as the sound of tyres screeching in the background could be heard. "It seems my right hand man wanted me to be treated like the royalty that I am and as such booked you lot in advance. I'm sorry for the inconvenience." As he finished his apology a flashy sports car came into view which pulled up next to the emperor.

"Yo, Chaiotzu you ready man," said the man driving. Videl was shell shocked when she saw that this man talked to royalty so casually but was even more shocked that the person driving was the baseball star Yamcha.

"Just one moment," said the emperor turning to face Videl. "Videl, if you want to overcome your fear of being weak, you have to start at the beginning. Seek out Master Korin, at the Sacred Land of Korin. If you wish to become stronger then that is where you must start."

Before Videl could question the emperor's words or how he knew her name he had already hopped in the car with Yamcha driving off at a reckless speed. Even though his message was cryptic in a sense, he knew what Videl wanted and had given her a direction which she could travel. Now she just needed to find out where this sacred land of Korin was.

...

**Short chapter but I'm a bit stressed. I'm trying to juggle several stories while preparing for my midyear exams. If I don't update for a while you know why. Please review, the more reviews the more likely I'll update at a closer date.**


	9. The Note

**Alright this has been a long time coming and I hope that I don't disappoint. I made the proclamation at the beginning that this would be the greatest story I ever wrote. While some may agree, and others may not it does not matter so long as it is enjoyed in general. (Stupid philosophy making me speak all calm like and shit)**

**Whether this is just going to be a one off update will likely depend on A) the reviews that I receive and B) Whether or not this chapter gives me the inspiration to go further.**

**Anyways, I'm proud to present the next chapter of Obsession!**

**...**

Videl banged the keyboard of her computer in frustration as she tried to find out any detail about the sacred land of Korin. No matter where she searched she either found herself at a dead end or at some tribal mythology which only really meant that while it went by the Land of Korin to some it was something different altogether in a different language. The Land of Korin could have been spoken in a dead language for all she knew.

Videl wiped her brow of perspiration; she had been staring at the computer screen ever since she got back from the airport where the Chinese Emperor had dumped her and instead preferred to hitch a ride with a famous baseball star. Not only that but they were heading to Capsule Corps where she was having serious consideration about what went on behind closed doors. It was no secret that Bulma Briefs liked to get her hands dirty and if for some reason all of those with tattoos on their back where with her at the moment, which made her a serious force to be reckoned with. But if that was the situation why was the Chinese Emperor there talking with the most powerful business woman in the world, unless they were making a deal of some sort. If she could make an army using the same cybernetics as Gohan's metallic arm there would be no end to the horror which could unfold.

Videl shook her head violently, she was allowing her imagination to go wild and she knew her mind was only exaggerating on rumours that she herself was creating. Taking a deep breath, Videl slumped into the back of her chair and rubbed her eyes with her forefinger and thumb. There was the option of just charging into Capsule Corps and demanding the answers to her questions but after seeing the destruction that they caused to the solid concrete structure of the ring at the WMAT that probably wasn't the smartest of ideas.

Videl became alert as she heard the doorbell ring; she waited for a moment before the ringing was followed by a small jingly sequence, signalling that it was Erasa pressing the button. Getting to her feet, Videl walked through several corridors before coming to the front door, happy that one of the maids hadn't beaten her to the punch. Behind the ever cheerful face the sun was beginning to set in the distance.

"Hey there," said Erasa cheerfully as she held a video tape in her hand.

"What you got there?" asked Videl.

"First off, where were you all day?" asked Erasa in a pout.

"The police called me to escort someone famous to Capsule Corps but there was a mistake in translation since they already had a ride," explained Videl.

"Someone famous? Is that why you're wearing lipstick?" asked Erasa.

Videl frantically rubbed her lips with the back of her hand. One of the first jobs she had done when she had got home was to try and take all of the makeup that had been plastered onto her face for the event. Even though she had gotten most of it off, Erasa was still able to pick up the faintest tinge of red.

"Don't worry about it," said Videl brushing off the topic as she looked at the back of her palm to see a small red smudge. Wiping it on her pants, she had gotten changed into casual clothes right after arriving back at the mansion, she refocused her attention to the tape in Erasa's hands.

"It's the video of the fighting tournament," said Erasa happily. "Since you got knocked out in the opening round I thought you'd like to see the rest of the fights."

Videl had forgotten that Capsule Corps had filmed the tournament and that they had promised to have it on the shelf in such a small amount of time but she brushed that to the side as she quickly snatched the tape from Erasa's hand and charged towards the big screen TV. Videl was happy that her father was out somewhere trying some publicity stunt or another to prove that he still had what it took to reclaim the title in the future. With Hercule out of the way, that meant the ridiculously wide screen television was free, as it rarely was since Hercule enjoyed watching moments of his former glory. Plonking herself on the couch after inserting the video tape, Erasa finding a spot beside her, she pressed the play button on the remote prepared to watch what she knew had to be some of the greatest fighting ever to be witnessed.

She wasn't disappointed.

...

Several hours later, the video finally rolled onto the credits as Tien Shinhan held the golden belt high above his head for the world to see. Videl switched off the television to find that the night time had rolled in and the sky was now a sheet of black. She looked to the side to see that Erasa had fallen asleep sometime through the movie, probably around when she stopped asking how people had done this, that and the other. Sadly Videl had had no answer to give on most of those questions.

The opening of the video had been the rumbles and all of those crazy fighters who had spent their time in the back corner of the holding ground had gotten through with ease, the hardest battle probably belonging to Chichi. After that when the rounds had began, after the initial fights including the former champ and former champ's daughter being defeated was when it got really interesting. Whenever two of the special squad made their way into the centre of the ring all hell broke loose starting with the two small children, Goten and Trunks.

From the way that they smiled at each other it was clear that they were the best of friends but at the same time the greatest of enemies. The fight had clearly not been their first as they had continuously reversed and countered every strike that they had sent at one another. They even used those light tricks which the fighters from the Cell games had used but after pausing and watching it closely Videl was no longer certain that these were tricks. Eventually Trunks had defeated Goten by ring out by sending him flying into the outside wall with a solid punch to the face.

After a very uneventful finishing round featuring Krillen and Tien as easy victors, the tournament moved onto the second round of fighting with Yamcha and Eighteen taking centre stage. Even though Yamcha was a veteran of the ring he stood no match to the blonde haired woman as she drove his body into the centre of the ring, creating a split down the middle before kicking his motionless body off the side of the ring. Then it had come to the most bizarre match of all between Mother and Son. They had both walked to the centre of the ring, the match had begun and the hugged before Chichi leapt off the platform and into the holding yard.

After that it had gone back into the serious bouts with Marron taking on Trunks. While Videl had thought that Marron would have had a good chance of winning after defeating her so easily, she was badly mistaken. Marron was forced onto the defensive for the entire battle before being overwhelmed and knocked to the outside of the ring.

The fights had then gone to Krillen and Tien, two seasoned veterans who were no stranger to one another. The fight had been graceful yet full of strength at the same time. By the end of the bout the arena was in several pieces but after Gohan versus Eighteen in the next round, the number of pieces had nearly doubled. Gohan had walked away victorious but the battle had been hard and brutal through and through. Trunks had then taken on Tien in the final round before the final and Tien had shown why he was known as one of the greatest fighters of all time.

Videl had watched the final with anticipation. She had seen it up close and personal and as such she knew what was going to happen and she was angry that a camera had managed to capture the moment where Yamcha had saved her life. Yet there was no image of young Marron floating in midair so there was no proof that that had actually occurred. Videl also knew that she would have been the only witness as everybody else's gaze would have been on the mangled body in the centre of the ring. Throughout the fight she had been trying to get a view of where the fighters had been floating off of the ground but the camera angles had made it impossible to tell. She had been at eye level with the ring floor and as such she had seen it perfectly but once more the camera angles made it impossible to tell what had happened.

A ring of the doorbell caught Videl's attention and caused Erasa to wake. "What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"Don't worry about that Erasa," said Videl comfortingly. "Just go up to one of the guest rooms and sleep in a nice big bed."

"That sounds nice," said Erasa as she got to her feet in a half dazed state. Her feet had started walking on their own; she had down the journey a hundred times over and would likely do it a hundred times again. Videl followed her out of the room but turned the opposite way towards the front door. Opening it, she found nobody standing there and she looked around curiously. Surely nobody had the nerve to do a dash on the doorstep of the Satan Mansion. As she was about to go in she spotted a piece of paper underneath the doormat.

Bending down and taking the folded paper from under the brown mat, she entered her house and closed the door behind her. Switching on the kitchen light, she unfolded the note to find three words.

'247 Forest Area'

Videl looked over the words a few times to try and understand what they meant, as if somebody had left this on her doorstep as a joke. It was then that she saw a small symbol in the bottom right hand corner of the paper. The writer had drawn a small circle with seven stars inside it.

...

**To continue...or not to continue...you tell me. Hope you enjoyed the comeback chapter. Please review.**


	10. The Cat Shows his Claws

**I'd like to thank everyone for their support in this story and as such I've decided to unleash another chapter straight to the audience. I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ**

**...**

Videl flew towards the destination, a jumble of thoughts running through her mind. She had decided to fly to the 247 forest area on the weekend and just tell her friends that she was on a business trip. That way it wouldn't look as suspicious... hopefully.

Videl had spent many hours trying to find any clue as to who might have sent the message, but even with forensic science she could find no fingerprints except her own. The only thing she could go off was the seven stared circle in the corner. From this she could tell that it had been sent by someone who had been at the tournament, or someone who was in with the whole scheme of things. Not only that, but they were the seventh strongest member, or so it seemed if Videl's theory was correct.

She looked forward, focusing her mind to the task at hand. If the information was correct, then this was the spot where Master Korin lived. One thing that her mind had kept floating to was what Gohan had meant by 'demon blood.' The fact that he was the son of two of the greatest fighters alive could have meant that he was just freakishly strong by his genes; after all, the exploits of Son Goku were legendary.

Videl blinked a few times to try and deduce the tall white thing in front of her. As far as she could tell, it just stretched higher and higher into the sky with no real end, but those sorts of things were impossible. The closer she got however, her rational thoughts kept slipping away as she found herself peering out the top of the windshield in an attempt to see the top of the spire but to no luck. Deciding to land at the base, Videl sent her jet copter towards the ground. What she found was not what she expected.

Landing her vehicle in a clearing, she found herself in a small village but the vicinity was void of life. While there were buildings it seemed to have been abandoned long ago, not a single soul stirred which made the situation more than a little awkward. Swallowing deeply, she walked to the base of the spire and looked directly up, the pillar stretching farther than her eye could see.

All around the spire were hooks stretching out, making it possible to climb the pillar to wherever it led. However Videl wasn't going to go wasting her time to overcome such an obstacle since she had a jet copter nearby. Jumping into the driver's seat, she revved up the engine and took off into the sky, her vehicle climbing vertically upwards.

For the better part of half an hour, the jet copter climbed into the sky, warning lights flashing as it had never meant to be flown that high. Finally through the windshield, Videl saw a platform and a smile spread across her face. Pushing the copter past its limits, she landed on the platform and looked around.

There were ceramic pots lined up everywhere and a cat standing on its hind legs but apart from that nothing special. "Wait a second," said Videl turning her attention back to the cat. It was white in colour and was standing on its hind legs with a staff in its hand. "I must be hallucinating, the air is so thin up here," said Videl trying to explain the situation to herself.

"Good excuse but wrong," said the cat with a smile causing Videl to squeal like a frightened school girl. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to alarm you," said the cat slightly startled by Videl's reaction.

"I'm sorry I must have over reacted," said Videl breathing deeply, trying to understand what was going on.

"Who's there?" asked a man as he walked in from an adjacent room wearing a samurai sword at his side. "I didn't order any pizza today," he added while picking his nose.

"You must be Master Korin," said Videl with a polite bow towards the slightly fat man.

"Ha, that will be the day, name's Yajirobe," answered the man leaving Videl confused slightly.

"I'm Korin," said the cat causing Videl to go wide eyed realising that the great master Gohan and even the Chinese emperor had been talking was a cat less than three feet in height.

"This is awkward..." said Videl slowly trying to compose herself.

"Unless you are here for something specific I must ask you to leave," said Korin turning his back to her.

"I want you to train me," blurted Videl wondering if this cat actually knew how to fight.

"I will not train anyone unless they first past a test," said Korin turning his head back to Videl.

"What's the test?" asked Videl.

"You've got to climb the tower," said Yajirobe in a bored tone as he sat down on a recliner.

"No way!" exclaimed Videl shaking her hands. "This tower is massive; there is no way anyone could climb it!"

"That fat ass over there did it," said Korin pointing at Yajirobe with his staff.

"I don't believe it," proclaimed Videl before shifting into a fighting stance. "If you can beat me then I'll believe that you were able to climb up this tower," she said with a smile.

With a sigh, Yajirobe got to his feet just as Videl charged at him. Videl threw everything she had at him but was unable to land a single blow as he dodged everything effortlessly. She threw a punch at his head but he bent to the side as he lifted his foot and drove it into her stomach forcing her back a few feet. Catching her breath back, Videl realised that she wasn't fighting at her full potential due to the fact that there was less air up this high in the sky. As such the air that was surrounding her was denser, meaning it was harder to move. Clearly since this man lived here he was accustomed to the difference in atmospheric conditions and had a distinct advantage.

Videl prepared herself once again and Yajirobe's shoulders slouched. "I was hoping you were going to be more of a challenge but clearly I was wrong," he said with a shrug. This infuriated Videl and she charged forth driving her fist forward but found herself looking at nothing but air, her opponent having moved faster than she could comprehend. A cold sensation ran down her body as she felt metal gently touch her neck. She turned her head slowly to see Yajirobe holding the samurai sword he had carried and now had it positioned to kill her. The one thing she couldn't shake off though was how quickly he had moved from one spot to the other, his speed being quicker than her eyes could keep track of.

"That's enough Yajirobe," said Korin banging his staff on the ground. Yajirobe sheathed his sword, the sound of the blade running down the sheath sending shivers down Videl's spine. Korin then turned his attention to Videl. "Until you can climb this tower I will teach you nothing," he proclaimed before walking away. Videl looked at him and with seething anger charged at him but before she knew it, Korin had knocked her to the ground with his staff.

He looked down at her with squinted eyes as he pressed the tip of the staff into her throat. Even though she struggled to push the staff away her strength was nowhere near enough to cause Korin's grip to waver. "Don't try to sneak up on an old master, you still do not know anything about this world and until you climb this tower I will teach you nothing." He removed the staff and Videl felt oxygen return to her lungs as she breathed what little air there was deeply.

Videl couldn't believe it as she got to her hands and knees; she had been bested in a fight by both a fat man and a cat. Sure they had the advantage since they had gotten used to the difference in atmosphere but she was the daughter of the self proclaimed man who defeated Cell. She had been working for the police force for years and not a single criminal had gotten away after she had arrived on the scene. It just didn't make sense.

Getting into her copter, she descended towards the Earth. The platform vanished from view as she got closer and closer to the ground. Once she reached a steady height, she turned her thrusters forward and headed towards Satan City. There was no way that she could climb that tower but she would defeat them no matter how long it took. She needed to do some heavy training to enable her body to adjust to denser air. She was going to take a leaf out of Son Gohan's book. She was going to get some weighted accessories and wear them around the clock. As she flew she made a plan that she would return to the tower in a week. For the first two days she would wear two ankle weights and two wrist weights that weighed two kilograms each. That way she would be carrying a constant eight kilogram weight on her at all times. After two days she would adjust each weight to three and a half kilograms, meaning she would be carrying an extra fourteen kilograms in total. For the final three days she would wear weights that weighed five kilograms each, meaning she would be carrying twenty kilograms which would no doubt slow her down.

However, once she took the weights off she would be stronger than before and if she could manage to accelerate her speed while wearing the weights to her normal speed when not wearing the extra weight her maximum speed would increase. The plan was perfect and she smiled as she flew towards the shopping district of the nearest town, she was going to start right away.

...

**Sorry for the delay but I've been bogged down with assignments and work. Hope you enjoyed and please review.**


	11. Cracking the Ice

**Thank you for the reviews, I seem to be motivated once again to continue this story. At the present time however I have no official ending in mind although there are a few which play in the back of my mind. We'll just have to see which one works in the end.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ**

**...**

Videl wrote away at her notes, the extra weight on her wrist no longer having as much effect as it had the day she had got it. Even though it was the day before she travelled back to the 247 forest area, she had grown accustomed to having the extra weight on her limbs. At first it had been awkward and with every increase in weight it was irritating but now she was annoyed that each individual weight didn't climb over five kilograms.

She could understand the concept with Gohan how extra weights would make one incredibly strong if worn for extended periods of time. It was still questionable as too how much he carried since she couldn't lift any of his equipment but that didn't mean that it was the absurd amount that he talked about. On the market, her weights were the latest model which could increase or decrease the density of each weight from one kilogram to five with the touch of a button. Apparently it was possible to have them taken down to Capsule Corps and have them advanced by the engineers but there would need to be a legitimate reason. Telling them that you needed to beat up a white cat probably wasn't the best excuse.

"So what are you wearing to the Spring Fling?" asked Erasa as her attention wavered from the lesson.

"It's not for three months, give it a rest," said Videl clearly not wanting to get into a fashion talk with Erasa.

"C'mon Videl, we've got to go shopping and get the best dresses we can find," squealed Erasa. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"I'm going out to the country," said Videl, a devilish plot forming in her mind.

"Where about in the country?" asked Erasa.

"The 247 forest area," said Videl, her attention solely focused on Gohan and she had to suppress a gasp of joy as he saw the boy's ears perk up. Even though he had his eyes closed, he was still awake enough to overhear what she had been saying but not only that, this topic intrigued him to some extent. Although something was slightly off putting as she saw a vicious smirk spread across his lips, he had already planned something sinister if Videl kept dropping these not so subtle hints. As such she decided to drop the topic and focus on the lesson once more.

Lunch soon came and since they were having a double period of gym after the hour long break. Figuring that this was a good time to get accustomed to her new skills, Videl removed the weights from her wrists and ankles and placed them in her locker next to the cold metal of the pistol she kept in there. The effects were immediate, Videl felt lighter and faster than she had less than a week ago. Closing her locker, Videl went to find Sharpner and Erasa and enjoy the lunch hour with them.

Gym soon came and they were doing track work to start off with which caused Videl to inwardly smile. The teacher explained that they would be doing laps as a group in a test of who could last the longest over an extended period of time with the group having to increase speed every time he blew the whistle. As one, the group started their journey around the track although the group lost a great deal in number when all of the self proclaimed popular girls dropped out. Erasa seemed to be doing alright but as the speed increased for the second time she found herself falling behind and was thus eliminated from the competition. Slowly the boys began to drop off until eventually there were only three remaining, Sharpner, Videl and Gohan. Gohan looked like he hadn't even begun to warm up and Videl was feeling as light as anything since she had lost her weights. Sharpner was not having as much fun.

Breathing heavily and clawing at his chest where a pain had formed, he tried desperately to keep up with Gohan and Videl to try and prove how manly he was. He only lasted ten more seconds before he dropped to his hands and knees panting hysterically. Videl shot a glance over at her final competitor, part of her knew she would never be able to win as he shot a cocky grin in her direction. Videl's attention though was on his eyes, they no longer had the icy coldness which was imprinted on the pupils at all hours of the day. It was as if something had changed.

Even though it was a hopeless battle, Videl was certain that she was going to give this everything she had in a test before coming face to face with the whiskered menace sitting atop the clouds. For ten minutes the duo ran side by side, neither allowing the other to gain an extra stride as the speed continued to increase. The coach was in disbelief as he blew on the whistle another time causing them to sprint across the track. Videl could tell that if they were in the Olympics she would have a chance against professional athletes but sadly nobody was keeping track of the time to allow her to compare.

Videl began to feel the effects of running non-stop for nearly half an hour as her legs began to cramp. Gritting her teeth, she gave one final push as the coach blew the whistle once more. The pain was unbearable however as she gripped at the back of her leg and began to limp, effectively ending the competition. The coach congratulated Gohan and the students cheered out of respect. While Videl breathed deeply as rivers of sweat ran down her face, Gohan looked as if he hadn't done anything, not a bead of sweat had formed on his forehead.

The two were allowed to have a fifteen minute breather as the rest of the students were put to work on various track and field events. Even though Gohan didn't feel tired, he decided to take this opportunity since he really couldn't be bothered doing something so trivial. Videl sat next to him, drinking heavily from a bottle of water, deciding to use this time for interrogation. Unfortunately Gohan got a head start.

"It seems that the weights you donned for the week have paid off," he said staring out into the distance.

"How did you know I was wearing weighted accessories?" asked Videl.

"A trained eye," he said tapping at the corner of his eye with his human hand. "Each time you adjusted the weight you became slightly slower in your actions but gradually picked up in speed. I take it you are using this in order to climb the tower."

"No way am I climbing that death trap of a tower," cursed Videl. "I'm just going to fly up there, beat the shit out of that Yajirobe guy and force Korin to train me."

"That'll be the day," Gohan chuckled.

Videl took this as an insult but swallowed her pride knowing full well that Gohan would be capable of beating her up in an instant. Even though he wore weighted clothing, it had no effect on his body whatsoever even though that arm he had attached weighed so much that four men had been able to so much as budge it. So she decided to bring it down to a more personal level. "Who's the seventh member?"

This caught Gohan's attention and their eyes met. Videl had expected to see cold icy hatred such as the glare he had sent her on his first day but this was nothing of the sort. It was more of curiosity than anything. "I take it you are referring to the tattoo imprinted on my back," he said to which Videl nodded in agreement. "The seventh warrior is possibly one of the most unlikely heroes of them all. He has everything but is content with the friendship he shares with his best friend."

"Is this some cryptic clue?" asked Videl.

"Yes it is, if I go out and give you a name that defeats the whole purpose of your quest."

"What quest are you talking about?"

Gohan smiled in a sinister manner as he concluded, "We are all heading on a journey, where we want to go is up to our subconscious, in other words, what is it that you want to know the most?" Gohan didn't wait for Videl to give him an answer, instead leaping up and joining in the events that were occurring across the track. Videl sat there for a minute, trying to figure out what Gohan had meant. The way he had talked to her just then was similar to the first time they had met when she had found him bleeding after taking a bullet to the shoulder.

After class had finished, Videl searched for Gohan around his locker area and she wanted to talk some more but his killing aura had surrounded him once again. Their eyes locked momentarily and Videl knew better than to talk to someone as powerful as him when they are pissed off. With a defeated sigh, Videl fetched her bags and went home for the evening, spending the night to mentally prepare herself for the challenges which she would face tomorrow.

...

**Shortish chapter but I wanted to get this out quickly. Please review.**


	12. Crash

**Sirius Potter2, if I went and told you who the 7****th**** member was it would be too simple. After all, I have to have some kind of hook in order to keep people reading, so what's wrong with a little guess work?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ**

**...**

Videl stared up at the ceiling, her head trying to figure out the meaning behind Gohan's cryptic message. All across her room were scrunched up pieces of paper. Knowing the intelligence of Gohan, it was possible that the message had been hidden within the words he had spoken. She had written down what he had said word for word, the message had continuously played itself over and over in Videl's mind. She had taken the first letter of every word and tried rearranging them to form a name but she wasn't able to decipher anything. She had tried the same thing with all the last letters of the words before trying every possible puzzle solution she could think of. Eventually she had realised that there was probably nothing hidden in the words and that the message was complete as it was.

"The most unlikely hero of all," said Videl under her breath. A thought crossed her mind that it could have been one of the children but even if they were incredibly strong, children were still afraid of needles and thus a tattoo was likely out of the question. Her mind then drifted to support characters, namely Bulma. "_She would be an unlikely hero, she could probably have created a robot that would have written down that note hence there being no fingerprints but Gohan specifically said 'He' in his statement. Even though she fits when he said that she has everything, I've got to think of a male who has everything at his disposal. Her husband?" _The thought wasn't an impossible one. He would have access to the technology which would prevent his fingerprints from being on the paper. However that solution only left more questions, even though it was one of the most talked about topics in all the gossip magazines, nobody knew who Bulma Briefs husband was.

Deciding to figure it out later, Videl went to bed, focusing her thoughts on the challenges which she would face with the morning rays.

...

"My, my, my, come back for more have we," muttered Korin as Videl jumped out of her jet copter once again before capsualizing it and putting it in her pocket.

"This time it's different," said Videl as she got into her fighting stance only to find herself flat on her back in only a split second in an incredible amount of pain.

"It will be no different until you climb the tower," said Korin as he stood on top of Videl's stomach. "I thought you would have learnt your lesson last time."

"How is it that you attacked me without me even seeing you?" questioned Videl as she buried her face in her hands.

"That is for the master to know and the student to find out, if you want to become a student climb the tower," he said as he jumped off of Videl and turned his back to her.

Seething that her training had done nothing, Videl unpacked her copter and got in, not taking another look at the old master. Hopping in, she fired up the engines before flying horizontally. She turned the vehicle around to face the tower as she sighed in defeat before she noticed something very odd. Coming out of the centre of the roof of the platform was another pole, much more thinner than the original pole but nonetheless it was supporting something.

"_Does that mean that there is someone even stronger up there?" _thought Videl and with curiosity getting the better of her, she adjusted the copter and began to fly upwards. The sensation was not to last however as various warnings and flashing lights informed her that the machine was not designed to be at this altitude. Videl took notice of the warnings too late as her engine began to choke before eventually stopping completely.

Videl screamed as her copter plummeted towards the ground. Furiously, she tried restarting the engine but no matter how hard she tried the engine wouldn't begin. Frantically, she started beating her fists against the control panel causing cracks to show, hoping she could solve the problem with brute force alone. Tears started streaming down her eyes as she got within a few miles of the ground.

She closed her eyes and openly cried as she waited her inevitable end. The sickening crush never came as the copter velocity greatly decreased. Gently the copter touched the ground but before Videl could figure anything out, she passed out due to a mixture of shock and hyperventilation.

...

Videl screamed as she woke up, bullets of sweat running down her face. "There, there honey, it's alright," said Hercule softly as he tried to calm down his daughter. Videl blinked rapidly several times, trying to work out what the hell had just occurred.

"Where...where am I?" she asked finding her voice but it was still a bit shaken.

"You're at home sweet pea, everything's okay," said Hercule. He then wrapped his arms around her in a hug as tears rolled down his eyes. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Wait what happened?" asked Videl trying to make sense of what was going on.

"They found the wreckage of your copter just outside Satan City," explained Hercule looking his daughter in the eyes. "Then that man from next door brought you home carrying you with his arm saying that you had passed out from shock, but apart from that there were no serious injuries. He said you would wake up after some rest and there would be no point in going to the hospital. That was a couple of hours ago now, but I reckon we should go there now to see if there are any lasting mental effects."

Hercule got to his feet and tried to get his daughter up to her feet but she pulled her hand away. "Don't worry dad, I feel fine," she said lying through her teeth, in all honesty she felt as if she had been hit over the head with a brick. "I just need some rest."

Hercule swallowed deeply, "If you say so sweet pea." With that he guided Videl back to bed before leaving her alone, closing the door ever so gently. Videl sat there, staring at the ceiling, her heart rate still going off the charts when she heard a gentle rap on her window. Curious, she got out of bed and opened her blinds to see Gohan sitting in a nearby tree waving with a stupid grin on his face. Opening the window, she took in a breath of fresh air before speaking.

"Thank you," she said, embarrassed by the fact that she had actually said those words.

"I just so happened to be in the area thanks to that inconspicuous bit of advice," said Gohan with a smile.

"So what actually happened?" asked Videl still feeling weak.

"Nothing to be concerned about," said Gohan throwing a capsule to Videl who caught it without much trouble. "A new copter," he explained. "I had to destroy your last one in order to make a convincing lie to your father."

"You destroyed my copter!" exclaimed Videl.

"Well I couldn't just rock up on your doorstep with you in my arms and no story," said Gohan with a shrug. "Or would you rather I had told your father I found you collapsed a few hundred miles away."

Videl wanted to speak out but she realised that Gohan had had a point. She fiddled with the capsule in her hand, wondering what improvements it had on her older model. "Thank you...I guess."

"Also since you seem to be stubborn about climbing the tower, inside the copter you'll find a piece of paper with the co-ordinates of a place where another master lives," said Gohan. "I didn't want to send you to him at first but he should be able to train you if you give him the chance."

"How many masters do you know?" asked Videl.

"A lot more than you would think," said Gohan with a chuckle. Videl couldn't help but enjoy looking at the smile he had plastered on his face, it seemed so much more upbeat and full of life then the scowl he wore around school.

"Why do you act different when we're alone then when we're at school?" asked Videl. "Like yesterday when we were sitting out while the others were doing track work, we talked freely."

"Even though I can't get too badly damaged physically, what can hurt is here," he said pointing at his heart. "I've made stupid mistakes before and they've ended up costing a lot more than an arm. I guess I'm afraid to open myself up, scared of getting hurt."

"So that hard exterior you put on at school, that's just so that you don't get emotionally attached to everyone?" asked Videl to which Gohan nodded in response. Videl remained silent for a moment, she wanted to ask him so many questions, like what he had meant by demon blood or what Marron had meant by ki shields but none of them seemed to fit in the situation. Instead the words that escaped her lips took her completely by surprise.

"Would you like to go to the Spring Fling with me?"

Everything went silent, even the wind stopped blowing as a smile spread across Gohan's lips. "That's that dance thing in three months isn't it?" he asked in reply.

"I know it's stupid, I shouldn't have said anything, I don't even know why I said it but I guess...ow," she complained as she rubbed her forehead where Gohan had thrown a nut to get her to stop her rambling.

"I'll go."

...

**All good things must come to an end, much like this chapter.**

**This magical button labelled review makes the next chapter come faster. Come on, give it a try.**


	13. BIG Mistake

**It's so funny that nobody has guessed the seventh member. Although it did take me a while to remember after I had taken a brief hiatus. I really should have written who has which tattoo on a piece of paper or something. Hopefully this chapter clears up a couple of queries but by the end there will be a lot more. By the way, Sirius Potter2...close but no cigar. Anyway...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ**

**...**

Videl flew to school in her new jet copter, incredibly impressed with the enhancements it had over her old one. She hadn't taken it out for a test run over the weekend due to the fact she had been resting. She needed to rest due to the shock she had received before the crash and the shock of asking and receiving an answer for the question. She had pondered several times about calling Erasa and telling her the situation, but this was possibly one thing she couldn't ask the gossip girl about. If she was to let it slip the fact that she had a date for the night, she would never hear the end of it.

Although in her spare time she had thought about several things to add to the list of things to ask Gohan. She wasn't sure but she had a feeling that the reason she wasn't smashed into a thousand pieces yesterday was because of Gohan. However, that then raised the questions how he could have saved her as she was plummeting towards the ground. Then there was the question to how he got her all the way back to her house. He had confirmed it yesterday that he was the one to bring her home but he had never said how he did it. It was possible that he had used this newer jet copter but that was just a rough guess. Then there was the question to how he had been destroyed in the first place. With his abnormal strength he could have pushed it off the top of a building but they had found the remains two kilometres out from the city's edge. It could have been an explosion but the police had found no traces of gunpowder although Videl had to remember that Gohan had access to all of Bulma Briefs technology and as such there might have been a device used in the situation.

Every question she needed to ask though, she had to remember that he was a different person at school to the one he was when they were alone. Not like she could ask him much anyway, due to the fact that he slept through nearly every lesson that didn't intrigue him. It was safe to assume that he had a night time job but what this job was she couldn't figure out. Nobody ever saw him leave his house at night and in the morning he would only leave to go to school. He also walked in the mornings, never really using a vehicle but Videl had to assume that he had some mode of transport considering he got out to the 247 forest area two days ago. That had then raised the question as to who he was visiting out there. He could have been going to see that cat or fat guy, but had he only gone due to the fact that she had mentioned that that was where she was going?

Videl shook her head as she concentrated on landing the copter on the school roof. With a successful touchdown, Videl grabbed the piece of paper that had been stowed onboard before she had received the jet copter. Capsualizing the copter, Videl walked down a nearby flight of stairs, impressed by the amount of time she had saved on her journey. Deciding to do a quick bit of investigation as to where Gohan was sending her, she went to the library and jumped on a nearby computer.

Pulling up a map on the internet, she inserted the co-ordinates that Gohan had given her, curious to know why it hadn't been an area like the one that the seventh member had given her. She had given no extra thought to that topic, due clearly to the fact that she didn't have enough information as to figure out that part of the puzzle. Even though she was usually good with investigations, this one had her completely baffled in that none of the pieces fitted together. The Chinese emperor had had a meeting with the most powerful woman in the world, she knew this fact but she had no idea as to why such a meeting would have happened in the first place. Then there was also the fact that when she was meant to be escorting the emperor, she had been replaced by a baseball star. She recalled at the tournament that he had had a circular tattoo imprinted onto his back but she hadn't seen what number it was.

She had created rough estimates of who was above and below who, but without any guess as to how many people there were she could only figure out where people belonged on the list. Gohan was number two, meaning that there was one person stronger than him. Tien had been number four and he had beaten Krillen on the way up, meaning that the monk was higher than four. Then there was Yamcha who had fought against Eighteen and lost while Eighteen had then gone on to lose against Gohan in a close encounter. Filling in the gaps, she guessed that while Gohan was number two, Eighteen would probably be number three before Tien but she had no way to prove that as she had never seen Eighteen battle Tien. Krillen and Yamcha would be higher up the ladder but she didn't know how high the ladder stretched.

She blinked a couple of times as she realised she had been staring at the wall for a couple of minutes before refocusing on why she had come here anyway. Looking at the screen, a scowl emitted across her lips as she realised that the co-ordinates lead to nothing but the ocean. The point was located directly in the middle of water with no land in sight on the map. She growled softly, assuming that Gohan had decided to play a prank on her and was doing this just for fun. However, focusing on the point, she noticed a single dot on the screen. Zooming in, she watched as the dot became bigger and bigger until she realised that it was an island.

Getting as much of a close up as she could, she estimated the island to be roughly fifty metres in diameter, along with the fact it was out in the middle of nowhere meant that one could train to their hearts desire without being interrupted. How they could train on such a small island though was another question altogether. With the bell ringing though, she had to focus on other things as she got out of the program.

...

School seemed to pass by without any real dilemmas. There were the usual gossipers going back and forth to one another about this, that, and the other. She tried to ignore them, knowing that they would mentally record every word that she said and replay it back to one of their friends, which then of course would circulate around the entire school.

However, Sharpner would be her undoing as he walked up to her at lunch with a proposition. "Hey Videl, you look good today," he said trying to act smooth.

"Jeez, thanks," said Videl uninterested in her friend.

"After that accident the other day, you must need a way to get back home tonight, how about I give you a lift?" he asked.

"Don't need it," she said just saying the first words that came into her head, much as she did with every conversation with Sharpner. Don't think, just say.

"Well no doubt you need someone to consol you and hold you in their strong arms?" he asked opening his arms wide as if expecting a hug.

"I already have some," said Videl before she realised her mistake. Everything around her went silent as gossipers from the entire school tuned in to this new revelation. She stood up and looked around, turning full circle to find that everyone in the cafeteria was looking at her, as if her words had been projected through a microphone. She swallowed as she noticed Gohan standing in the corner before a smirk crept over his eyes, clearly he was enjoying Videl in this predicament.

She remained looking at that one spot and Videl only snapped out of it when she realised that everyone was going to follow her gaze. It was too late however as everyone's heads turned to look at where she was looking to find...nothing. Videl looked back into the corner to find that Gohan had vanished, much like he had when she had entered his training room all those weeks ago. Videl inwardly smiled, happy to know that she had just gotten away with that one but as the numerous gazes fell back on her she realised that she was going to have to learn to become a master liar in only a few seconds.

...

**I'll leave it here, I think you'll all be happy with two updates in two days. This feeling brings me back, completing** **numerous chapters in only a matter of days. Hope you enjoyed and will update soon, after I get real life back on track. Please review.**


	14. Escaping Peers

**Thank you all for the reviews, it makes me happy to know that people are putting in the time and effort to write a dozen or so words. There is a poll which I need answered in order to help me with my next survival story which will be developed soon, so please have your say.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ**

**...**

Videl ran as fast as her legs could take her as a mob of gossip girls ran behind her and a group of frustrated jocks followed behind them. Videl had been unable to give a satisfactory answer having sweated and stuttered profusely in telling them an outward lie. A lie from Videl was never going to go down well and now nearly the entire school was desperate for the truth. Even while running, Videl couldn't help but feel that she couldn't tell the truth about a guy who held so many secrets was more than a little ironic.

She took a left turn as she ran and knew she had just made a critical error with the only pathway this way leading to the rooftop. There was the thought that she could pull out her jet copter but even though it was the newer model it would still take time to warm up the engine before she could successfully take off. That was only if nobody latched on for a ride.

Climbing the stairs, she didn't need to turn her head in order to realise that nobody had given up on the chase, they were making so much racket that the whole school could probably hear them. She burst through the door and closed it behind her, pressing her back against it just as she felt a wave of people crashing against it. No matter how much she pushed, she could feel herself giving way as the pressure became too much for her. She closed her eyes and grimaced at the possibilities, knowing that there was at least fifty people ready to extract the information out of her with whatever means necessary.

"Need a hand?" said a voice causing Videl's eyes to shoot up to see Gohan calmly standing there with a lead pipe in his hand. Videl watched as he casually walked up to the door and twisted the metal around the handle and a nearby pole.

"Thank you," said Videl taking a couple of steps away from the door.

"That should hold them for a while," said Gohan before the pipe began to give way. "Maybe not," he corrected as Videl began to search for her jet copter frantically.

"Where is it!" she exclaimed as she searched every pocket before she realised that she had placed it in her locker at the start of the day. She searched for an alternate route of escape but the school had placed a four metre high fence along the proximity of the roof to prevent students from jumping.

"We're trapped," she sighed defeated and if she was here with Gohan then the beans would immediately be spilled. As soon as the two were seen together rumours would spread and eventually it would be in the papers and everything. She didn't have to worry about her father though, his rule about not dating someone unless they were stronger than him probably didn't qualify in this situation.

A flurry of things instantly rushed through Videl's mind as Gohan grabbed her arm and swung her around to his back. "Grab hold," he said kneeling slightly. Videl didn't know what to say but just complied, wrapping her arms around Gohan's neck. Before she knew what had happened she was screaming as Gohan leapt into the air, easily clearing the fence and covering hundreds of metres in a single leap. They landed on the rooftop of a nearby building just as the door to the school rooftop burst open, students pouring out of the small opening in droves. Gohan quickly led Videl behind a nearby vent; she was still too shocked from what had happened to react quickly enough.

"You okay?" asked Gohan to which Videl could only reply by breathing deeply. Regaining her senses, Videl slapped Gohan along the back of the head with all her might, knowing it would feel like nothing more than a mosquito bite to someone as strong as him. This motion only caused him to chuckle which blew Videl to boiling point.

"Are you crazy!" she screamed, thankful that they were far away enough from the school so that the other students didn't hear them.

"They're heading back inside," said Gohan looking around the corner of the vent towards the school. "We should be safe here."

"Don't ignore me!" shouted Videl with venom on her lips.

"Look, would you rather be tortured by your peers or safe up here with me?" asked Gohan already knowing the answer. Videl went silent as she suddenly realised that Gohan had put her through that to protect her.

"Thank you," she said in a miniscule voice but Gohan's expert hearing was able to pick it up.

"You're welcome," he said with a smile.

"How did you do that?" asked Videl measuring the distance between the school and the building they were currently on.

"I jumped," said Gohan with a shrug as he got to his feet, Videl close behind.

"I didn't know people could jump so high, or so far."

"When you took your weights off, did you think that moving faster would be the only thing you could do?"

Videl pondered over this statement for a moment, she had figured that by removing the weights she had worn for a week she would be substantially faster but she had never thought of other simpler things. Looking down at her feet, Videl crouched before jumping into the air at least two metres higher then what she could have usually done from a standing position. She landed in a mess, not used to falling from that height from anything other than her copter. She just looked at the roof in disbelief, unsure if she had really fallen from that height or not.

"Seems like you're going to have to go under the radar for a while," said Gohan looking at the school. "I'll need to keep going otherwise rumours will start to spread."

"Where should I go?" asked Videl getting to her feet.

"Go to that island which I gave you directions for," said Gohan turning to look at her. "What's the number to your locker; I'll go get your copter."

"217," answered Videl before Gohan vanished. She threw a glance over at the school roof just in time to see the door close. Videl only had to wait a few minutes before the door to the school roof opened once again before Gohan appeared beside her in a flash. "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that," said Videl as Gohan gently threw the capsule to her.

"You will," said Gohan before tossing a pistol up and down in the air. "You keep some unusual things in your locker."

Videl looked at the pistol the police had given her; she had momentarily forgotten that that had been in her locker at all. "The police gave it to me in case there was an emergency," she said monochromatically. She had always believed that she didn't need to rely on such items but the police were more than worried about her.

"Well you won't need this anymore," said Gohan crushing the object in his hand as if it was nothing more than a piece of paper. Videl didn't bother voicing out, if Gohan was sending her somewhere to train then hopefully she would never have to use such a crude object. "Hopefully while you are there you'll learn the fundamentals of ki."

"Ki?" said Videl confused before recalling that that had been the thing that Marron had talked about at the tournament. "Just what is ki?"

"Don't worry, you'll learn all about it while you are there," said Gohan. "They should have enough room there to accommodate another person but you might have to chip in for extra food."

"I can do that," said Videl as she decapsualized the copter.

"I just have one last warning," said Gohan before Videl got in the vehicle. "Beware the island pervert."

"The island who now?"

...

**This is a really short chapter, I'm sorry it's not that long but I can't really extend it any further from here without slipping into the next chapter. Please review and I'll update soon (hopefully).**


	15. The Island Pervert

**Did anyone notice the hidden code last chapter? The fact that Videl's locker number is the same as the number used for my latest survival story, eh did you pick that out? Anyway, as a notice I have final assignments and exams coming up so whether or not that will be a hindrance to my update rate I don't know. I will try to maintain a solid updating streak but I cannot guarantee anything.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ, no matter how many times you ask I shall never own such a Kami like product.**

**...**

"You're that boy from next door aren't you," stated Hercule as he eyed off Gohan who was standing at the front of his door. He tried as hard as he could to look away from the missing appendage but Gohan seemed to shrug it off as if he was used to that sort of thing.

"Yes, I just thought I should tell you that Videl's gone away for a couple of weeks," said Gohan in his normal manner while handing Hercule a pair of shoes. Since there wasn't a large crowd around him he felt that he should open up considering it was the father of the person he was taking to the dance.

"What do you mean?" asked Hercule as if it was a rhetorical question taking the shoes and throwing them to the side.

Gohan couldn't help but slap his forehead which only served to confuse Hercule even more. "She was getting harassed at school so she's gone somewhere where she can't be disturbed," said Gohan spelling it out.

"Well where is she, will she be alright?" asked Hercule starting to panic.

"Don't worry yourself, she's with some of my friends, she'll be fine," said Gohan putting on a smile which seemed to comfort Hercule somewhat. "I can only imagine what you would do if you found out that your daughter was missing."

"I would have panicked like any father would have, perhaps even more so," admitted Hercule bashfully. "Although I had my doubts at first, I finally recognise you from all those years ago."

"It didn't take much did it," said Gohan pointing at his missing arm.

"When Videl first told me that a one armed boy had moved in next door I had my suspicions but I confirmed it after watching the tape of the tournament," said Hercule with a smile. "You okay about me taking your credit?"

Gohan shrugged nonchalantly. "At first I was a little annoyed but if I had come forward then my life of peace and quiet in the mountains would have ended."

"Perhaps it was for the best," said Hercule to which Gohan nodded. "Anyway, can I offer you something to eat," he said stepping out of the door frame to allow Gohan to enter.

"As much as I'd like to, this homework isn't going to get itself done," said Gohan apologetically as he turned to walk away.

"Fair enough but before you go," said Hercule gaining Gohan's attention. "Could I ask a favour of you?"

...

Videl flew through the air in her jet copter with the knowledge that she would not be disturbed out in the middle of nowhere. It would just be her and a martial arts expert, Videl tried her hardest not to allow the title which Gohan had given him get to her. "Island pervert," she muttered in disgust. "Gohan has no respect for this person he's sending me to. If he's anything like the cat then he'll be a martial arts expert, any of my old trainers would kill me if I said something like that to their face."

Although she didn't like to admit it, she had had several masters when she was young who had tried to teach her their individual ways of fighting. However, she had found these confusing at times and had taken her own approach in fighting after she had heard of her father's victory over Cell. She wanted to grow up to be the strongest, but as she had learned there were a lot of stronger people then her father. Even though he had lost the tournament a few weeks ago, apart from Gohan and possibly herself, he was the strongest man walking the streets.

While Gohan had come to the city to study, hardly any of the other major fighters had been heard of since that day. There was the famous baseball player Yamcha, but he solely appeared for his games and then left to go somewhere more reclusive. Major sponsors had tried to get Tien to sign up to be the centre figure for numerous brands but he hadn't signed up for anything, potentially losing hundreds of thousands of zeni. After the tournament, they had all seemed to vanish and only appeared whenever they felt like it.

Videl couldn't help but wonder how they survived. For the new champion, the paparazzi would have been hounding him whenever he showed his face in public no matter where it occurred around the world. For him to just vanish meant that he had secluded himself somewhere in isolation away from society. No doubt he had the skills to survive on his own so he might have gone off into the wilderness until the time comes for the next tournament. By that time, Videl hoped that she would be able to put up a better fight then the one she had before.

"There it is," she exclaimed as she saw the island come into view before putting a hand to her lips. She couldn't remember the last time she had squealed when she had reached her destination. Perhaps it was just the thrill of learning new techniques or forms but whatever it was she couldn't help but feel excited. Slowly, she approached the island before touching down and leaping out onto the sand, feeling each individual grain seep between her toes.

Knowing that she was going to be on an island, she had decided against bringing footwear as to be able to give herself a harsher training regime. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't actually brought all that much, only having what she had brought to school today. Gohan had said that he would explain everything to her father but in the heat of the moment she had forgotten to go home and get some clothes, leaving her with only what she had on and her gym clothes.

Ignoring that fact for the moment, she capsualized her copter before turning and looking at her surroundings. It was like a tropical getaway, the beach was pristine while the crystal clear water lapped at the sand's edge. A lone coconut tree occupied the space next to a small pink house. Walking up to the front door she knocked three times. She waited patiently but there was no answer. She knocked again but all she got was silence.

Deciding it would be rude to simply barge in, Videl decided to get used to the landscape, which the more she thought about it the more she realised that there really wasn't that much to get used to. Walking around the back of the house, she found a beach umbrella giving shade to an old man who was sleeping with a dirty magazine on his chest, his eyes covered by red framed sunglasses.

"Was Gohan serious?" she whispered under her breath before speaking up. "Hello? I'm looking for a martial arts expert." Gaining no response, she walked up next to him and started poking him gently. "Excuse me."

Slowly, she heard the man wake up. His head turned slightly to look in her general direction. "This must be a dream," he said with sleep laden in his voice.

"This isn't a dream," reassured Videl.

He seemed to look perplexed for a moment before he sighed. "Now that I look at you you're right, this can't be a dream otherwise you would have brought your friends," he said getting into a sitting position, the magazine sliding off his chest and onto the sand beneath.

"What friends are you talking about?" asked Videl.

He looked up at Videl before a sparkle appeared in the corner of his sunglasses as he shot to his feet. "A pretty young thing like you," he said with renewed vigour, "Should have big, round, ripe, juicy..."

Videl didn't let him finish as she tried to punch him across the side of the face only for the man's hand to shoot up from his side and stop Videl's fist in its tracks. "What the..." said Videl trying to figure out what happened.

"You've got a bit of fight in you, you must be the student that Gohan said would be coming," said the man loosening his grip so Videl could regain her hand.

"I'm your student? Does that mean?" she said leaving her question lingering.

"Sure thing sweet cheeks, I'm the Turtle Hermit Master Roshi, and I'm your new martial arts teacher!" exclaimed Roshi as he stepped out of the shade to allow the sun to glisten off the top of his head. Videl couldn't help but wonder if it would have been better to climb the tower.

...

**Hope you enjoyed, please review.**


	16. The Laws of the Island

**Exams are over so it's time to have a bit of fun. Thank you for the reviews, as always they help provide motivation.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ**

**...**

"What's your name?" asked the old master.

"Videl," answered said girl as she looked down at Roshi.

"Let's see what you can do," said Roshi as he grabbed his walking stick. Videl quickly glided into her stance but before she had even realised she was unable to move from the spot, Roshi having struck her five times in an instant and momentarily paralysed her. From Videl's point of view however it hadn't even appeared that he had moved from the spot since he was that fast.

"What did you do?" she growled through clenched teeth.

"Don't worry's its only temporary," said Roshi as he examined her from all angles. "Your balance is slanted," said Roshi as he nudged her gently with his staff and she wobbled on the sand a little before rocking back to her previous spot, thankful she hadn't planted into the ground. "You've got a good rear guard for when facing multiple enemies so that your back is well defended but in a one on one fight you should reconsider your stance." Videl took this into account, when she had been fighting for the police force she often had to take down a number of men in order to complete her mission. As such she was used to having to defend from all sides at once but while this had its advantages she didn't realise that it could also be disadvantageous. "I'm not going to try and tell you what type of stance you should have," explained Roshi. "I can only tell you what you need to adjust, not rewrite your whole stance for you. Each stance carries its own strengths and weaknesses. Those who believe that their stance is the greatest will pay no heed to any other stance. In order to counter anything you must be able to easily jump from one stance to another in a heartbeat to remain one step ahead of your target."

With that Roshi gently pinched the base of her neck and she felt herself able to move again as she dropped to her hands and knees. "What was that?" she asked.

"Just a technique I learnt a few dozen years back," smiled the old hermit. "Alright, let's see what you can do from this stance of yours. I swear I won't paralyse you this time."

Taking Roshi's word, Videl sprung from her position at Roshi sweeping out with her right leg at his chest. Roshi however tossed his staff from one hand to the next before blocking the blow, the staff not moving an inch even though she gave the blow everything she had. Focusing, she relentlessly charged at the old man, knowing well enough that if he was attacking back she would have altered her style in order to defend but he had asked her to go all out. Yet it was the same as had been with Korin and even Yajirobe, her best simply wasn't even worth these guys to take her seriously.

"That's enough," said Roshi allowing Videl to put her hands on her knees panting as sweat formed on her brow. Usually a work out which would only last a few minutes, such as this had, she wouldn't even have formed a sweat let alone be exhausted. "Where do you usually train?" asked Roshi.

"In my father's gym," answered Videl looking up.

"Air conditioned I assume," muttered Roshi. Videl thought about it for a moment before answering by nodding her head. Roshi continued, "So can you answer why you are so tired from a small exercise like this?"

Videl stood up straight and looked into the sky, shielding her eyes as she did, to see only a couple of clouds in a near perfect sky. She also realised that despite a sea breeze (being on a small island she didn't know if there would be any time when there wasn't a sea breeze) it was quite hot as the sun bared down on her. "There's a different difference in temperature, instead of constant air conditioning, we're out in the open," she answered.

"And..." said Roshi expecting more. Without an answer to give Roshi tapped the sand with the base of his staff. "You're not on concrete or tiles anymore, you don't have a solid footing."

Videl looked down at her feet and noticed that they were buried half an inch in sand, the terrain moving underneath her feet. "It's harder for me to get a grip," she noted.

"You were like my student Gohan," said Roshi. "When he first trained under me to charged head first before understanding the changes he had to make."

"You trained Gohan, what was he like when he was starting out?" asked Videl.

"No I'm not talking about Gohan, I'm talking about Gohan's grandfather Gohan," clarified Roshi but this lead to only more confusion.

"So Gohan's grandfather is named Gohan," said Videl quizzically.

"Actually Gohan never did talk much about his family," said Roshi.

"No, I'm talking about young Gohan, my age Gohan," said Videl trying to clear things up.

"Ah, that makes sense, sorry I'm getting a bit senile in my old age," apologized Roshi. "My student Gohan found Gohan's father Goku when he was just a boy and named his son in memory of his own father."

"Memory...does that mean..." said Videl uncertain if she wanted to ask the question.

Roshi solemnly nodded his head. "He was crushed to death when Goku was still a child, leaving the boy to fend for himself. It was many years later before I discovered that Gohan had ever taken a child into his care and that was after I had trained Goku for his first martial arts tournament."

"That reminds me, I've been wondering, after seeing all of those great fighters of the past tournaments it was awkward not to see Goku there, was he ill or something like that?" asked Videl.

Roshi shook his head and Videl knew that the news he was about to give was not going to be pleasant. "Goku was my finest student with a positive attitude and raw determination which made him the greatest warrior on the planet. However, even heroes have their limits. He sacrificed himself to save everyone he loved right in front of his son's eyes. Gohan personally shouldered the burden of his father's death and it weighed him down for years. Even though he looks like he's recovered he's afraid of being hurt again."

"So that's what he was talking about," muttered Videl recalling how Gohan had said he was afraid to get hurt again. She knew when he had said it that he had faced some sort of trauma but she never expected anything of this magnitude. Immediately she regretted ever acting cold towards him but knew that she couldn't do anything about it now, except do what he sent her here to do. She stiffened and stood completely upright as if saluting a commanding officer before dropping to her knees slowly. "Please teach me master," she said, repeating the words she had never thought she would have said many years ago.

"So this is your new student," said a new voice which caused Videl's head to shoot to the side to see a woman standing there in denim jeans and a white tank top. Videl recognised her from the tournament as the woman known only as Eighteen. In Eighteen's arms was the young child which had defeated her, Marron.

"Is the pretty lady my training partner?" asked Marron of her mother.

"That's for the pervert to decide," answered Eighteen shooting a glare at Roshi who paled nervously.

"Are you paying out my old master again?" asked another voice, male this time, as the ex-monk appeared from around the side of the house holding a couple of bags of groceries. Meanwhile Marron had jumped down to the ground before running up to Roshi.

"Please let her stay, I can help you train her," she begged whilst initiating puppy eyes she had learnt from Goten.

Videl wanted to argue that Marron couldn't teach her anything before remembering that this was the same four year old who had beaten her in front of a live television audience. "Well student Videl," said Roshi stepping forward, "Are you ready to begin your training?"

"I am," said Videl gratefully as she got to her feet.

"Since I am well aware of your studies, we shall train you for two months and in that time I wish for you to have a total of six stances to call your own and have a fundamental knowledge of ki," said Roshi explaining the outline.

"I've been meaning to ask, what is ki?" asked Videl.

"Ki is the spiritual energy which flows within our body, the amount of which cannot be defined in numbers," explained Roshi. "Those who know how to, are able to use the ki from their bodies as either a weapon or a shield, depending on the purpose. However, there is a limit to the amount of ki you can use otherwise the results can be dangerous. If you access more than you can handle, it is possible that the stress will tear your body apart. Do I make myself clear?" Videl nodded vigorously. "Alright then, Marron would you like to teach Videl here how to access her ki while I catch up on my reading?"

"Sure thing," said Marron joyfully as she ran forward and grabbed Videl's hand. "Let's go sit in the shade of the tree and I can teach you," she said with a smile as she dragged Videl along, the Satan girl barely able to keep up with the girl's speed. As they took a seat and Marron began teaching, Videl inwardly knew that the next two months she was going to be pushed through hell and back.

...

**Hope it was worth the wait. Please review.**


	17. Return

**Great to hear that people enjoyed the latest chapter. Let's see if Videl's training pays off when she returns.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ**

**...**

Screams of fear filled the morning air as bullets were fire wildly around the shop which was being stolen from. Several thieves fired their weapons at anything that moved, not so to hit them but to prevent them from getting closer than necessary. They were well aware of the danger they had put themselves in simply by robbing the store. While the cops which were now huddled behind a bullet riddled car for protection posed no threat, the one called the Night Raven did.

When Videl Satan had vanished from the scene, robbers went wild believing that this was a sign from Kami to go wild. It was not to be however. A man in a tight black spandex suit took her place; he also had jet black hair and black eyes to fit the attire. However, he was also quick, so quick that none of his other features could be truly identified. He would strike a foe down amidst a sea of bullets and come out unscathed, the bullets bouncing harmlessly off of his body. He was a freak of nature, and due to him successful robberies had dropped to an all time low. However that didn't mean that people tried.

"C'mon guys, hurry it up in there," shouted one man as he fired his machine gun into the air as an act of intimidation. They watched as police in the distance herded people away from the immediate danger.

"There he is!" shouted one man as he pointed a shaking finger towards the rooftops of the nearby buildings. All of the men who were outside followed the direction until they saw him, clad in all black atop a large building.

"Shoot him!" they shouted as they emptied their clips towards the ominous figure. He simply stood there as bullets whizzed past his face, a couple getting close enough that he actually had to dodge.

"We're out of ammo," one of them shouted as his gun clicked on empty as many of the others did.

"What do we do now?"

"Run for it," one suggested breaking into a sprint.

"Wait a minute, where'd he go?" said one of the men who had kept his eyes of the Night Raven.

It was only a second later when the guy who been running was flung back towards the rest of the men, breathing heavily as he tried to recover the air which had been knocked out of him. The men followed the line of sight where he had come from to see a young woman walking towards them. They knew this person well, apart from the Night Raven she was the one most feared.

"It's Videl!" they shouted in fear. They turned to run in the opposite direction but found their pathway blocked by a person clad in black. Before they even had a chance to shout out in fear, Videl had covered the distance between them in an instant with speeds unfathomable. Pivoting in between three men she dodged a wild punch by ducking underneath. She rolled back onto her hands before lunging at the nearest opponent, driving her feet into his chest and effectively cracking at least three ribs.

Keen senses alerted her and she stepped to the side just as a knife penetrated the air she had been standing in. Shuffling back slightly, she drove her elbow into her opponent's stomach, causing him to double over in pain. Grabbing his wrist, she flipped the man over her shoulder and into the final man, effectively taking the pair of them out. She watched silently as nearby policemen rushed in to apprehend the criminals. Videl turned her attention to the entrance of the shop where she saw a small pile of bodies with the man clad in black sitting on top. Casually, she strode over to him.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked as the man leapt off.

"While you've been training someone had to look after the town," he said as he pressed a button on his wrist to transform back into his usual attire.

"Thanks for that Gohan," said Videl with a smile.

"So how much stronger have you gotten?" Gohan asked.

"I can defeat Roshi and Marron on most occasions but I'm nowhere near the standard of Eighteen or Krillen," she admitted. "But I plan on continuing my training and getting stronger."

"Good to hear, now what's say we get out of here before the paparazzi show up," suggested Gohan. Videl nodded her head in response before pulling her jet copter out of her pocket and decapsualizing it. Without another word, the two of them hopped in just as the reporters rocked up on the scene. They were unable to get a steady shot however as Videl fired up the thrusters and sent the vehicle soaring into the air.

...

"It's so good to see you," squealed Erasa as she leapt into Videl, entwining her arms around the Satan girl's back. "I must have called you like a thousand times but I couldn't get in touch."

"It's alright Erasa," said Videl trying to pry Erasa off of her. "I'm back there's no need to panic."

"But of course we've got to panic," said the blonde girl releasing her hold somewhat. "There's only two weeks before the Spring Fling and you don't have a dress yet."

"Not to mention you have no prince charming to take you to the ball," said Sharpner as he hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry, but with you out of the picture I invited Erasa to the dance. I pray that you'll forgive my soul."

"I wasn't going to go with you anyway," snapped Videl.

"That's right, the reason you left was because you're hiding your mystery man from us, so spill girl, who is it?" asked Erasa becoming her usual nosy self.

"Who was it that turned your heart away from mine?" asked Sharpner.

"When the hell did you become so poetic?" retorted Videl before focusing on the question. "As for who I'm going with my lips are sealed." During the flight over Videl and Gohan had discussed how they were going to keep it a secret until the night of the dance in order to give their classmates something to really talk about. Even though she hated the fact that the commotion which would come as a result of the actions it was better than the consequences which would ensue if she was to tell the truth now.

"Stop harassing her," said Gohan trying to calm her friends.

"Oh my Kami Videl," said Erasa switching into gossip mode. "While you've been gone, Gohan has like become the nicest guy ever. Now all we have to do is get him a date for the fling, all of the girls have approached him but he's turned them all down but in the nicest way possible. He's become such a cutie." Somewhere during her monologue she had latched onto Erasa and was hugging him as if he was a giant plush toy.

"Alright, you can let go of me now," said Gohan with his hands in the air. "Sharpner, restrain your date, it will look bad on you if she is stuck to another guy."

"You're right, if I allow my maiden to be in the embrace of another man that would..." started Sharpner.

"Cut the poetic crap and just get her off me," said Gohan trying to loosen Erasa's grip. It took half a minute but finally Gohan was free. He could have easily pried her off but now that he had become friends with the girl he would prefer it if he kept her relatively unharmed.

"So Videl," said Sharpner turning back towards the rave haired girl. "I heard a rumour that you spent the last two months in an intense training program to prepare yourself for your fight in a little over a week."

"What fight?" asked Videl.

"The fight between you and your father to be broadcast on live television," answered Gohan, a smirk spread across his face.

"A fight between me and dad," repeated Videl. The idea of it excited the Satan girl, because here was a chance to show that she wasn't someone simply living in her father's shadow, an opportunity to prove to the world that she was stronger than the one and only Hercule Satan. Somehow she knew in the back of her mind that Gohan had had something to do with this and the possibility that he had even planned the length of her training was not out of the question. She reminded herself to thank Gohan in private before she asked some very important questions.

"Where and when is this fight being held?"

...

**Shorter chapter and as such I am sorry but I am leading up to the finale of this story. Next major event on the agenda is a fight between Hercule and Videl. In a titanic struggle between father and daughter, who will come out victorious! Please review and you shall soon find out.**


	18. Reuniting Family

**I received an anonymous review in which the person complained that when Videl said that she would keep training in order to become as strong as Krillen that it was impossible. I am not arguing against this point, what I am going to say though is what one person says and what one person is capable of are two different things. Sure she could say that but does that necessarily mean that it is going to happen over the following months? This story is coming to a close soon with the advent of the Spring Fling which story time wise is only in a week or two. Don't make such rash assumptions. Whew, now that I've gotten that off my chest...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ.**

**P.S. Sorry for the delay, started a new job and been trying to sort things out.**

**...**

"What about this one?"

"No."

"This one?"

"No."

"This one looks cute."

"No."

"You didn't even look at this one."

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does."

"No it doesn't, I can just wear one of my old dresses."

"As if I would ever let my friend go about wearing an old dress to a formal occasion. Anyways let's try that store over there!"

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, now come on."

Videl regretted ever agreeing with Erasa before school had finished that day.

...

"I'm home," said Videl as she stepped through the front door. She was surprised that she hadn't been ambushed by all of the maids upon her arrival. For a moment she simply stood there stunned until a single figure walked into view.

"Oh Miss Videl," said Jane, the head maid for the Satan Manor, "I didn't know we were to be expecting you back today."

"Spur of the moment decision," said Videl as she walked into the centre of the room where Jane stood. "Where is everyone else?"

"Master Satan sent them all on an extended leave after you left, we believe since there was only going to be him on his own for a while he just wanted some peace and quiet, although I had my suspicions the next day when young Master Gohan came around to speak with your father. In your two month absence he has come here twice, even three times a week," said Jane going over all the things which had recently occurred.

"Do you know what they were doing?" asked Videl returning to her old crime busting ways.

Jane shook her head. "When I first discussed it with the rest of the girls, we all thought he had come over here to ask your father for his permission to be your boyfriend." Videl's jaw dropped as Jane continued. "Since he had come second in the last major tournament, we all thought the young master would have been a suitable man which filled your father's requirements. But since he kept coming day after day we figured it had to be something else. Only a week ago did your father announce that he would be holding a father daughter fight."

"So nothing overly strange happened?" asked Videl.

"The first couple of times he came around he brought a set of complicated tools as if he were doing a bit of high tech construction. Also the young masters time here would vary greatly," explained Jane. "Some days he would stay only for a few minutes while other days he would be here from dawn to dusk and then some. A few of the girls assumed that your father might have asked the young master for training, but I checked the training room constantly as if expecting to see something amazing. Instead, I simply found Hercule trying to refine his form against a much younger opponent."

"So Gohan was helping him prepare for this oncoming fight," stated Videl.

"It would seem that way, he even took him into the wilderness for a week in order to do some secret training," responded Jane.

"Fair enough, anyway I better go see dad," said Videl before turning to walk towards the training room. She heard Jane bid her farewell but paid it no heed. She now knew that her father had been the one to make the announcement but the mastermind behind it all had been Gohan. The fact that he had been training her father behind her back tore at her ever so slightly, but she realised that he had done this to help her. Before she had even met Gohan, Videl had thought that she was capable of going toe to toe with her father and at least give the audience a good show. With her impulsive fighting nature she would probably have ended up challenging Hercule anyway to show that she was no longer living in her father's shadow. This way however, she wouldn't absolutely wipe the floor with him and it would still be a challenge. If it was going to be an even fight before, the coming fight would be incredible to watch.

Before Videl realised it, she had reached the training room and stepped through the door. She was met with the familiar view of a tiled room with all types of machinery used to help tone the body. There was also the familiar stench of sweat, no matter how much the maids tried to clean up the area, it still ended up smelling the same way. Also Videl noticed something else, something she couldn't quite put her finger on but ignored it as she spotter her father.

Hercule was standing in the centre of a fighting ring, fighting an imaginary opponent with his patent style. Although Videl was now able to make out several differences from his usual style which would go unnoticed to most, she had Eighteen to thank for that. His left hand was raised slightly higher and to the left a touch, ensuring that the head was well protected from any hooks or kicks. His balance had also shifted slightly to being more on the balls of his feet effectively making him slightly more nimble. Also Videl noticed the physical differences with her father. Instead of seeing the bulging muscles she was accustomed to, they looked like they had shrunk slightly but in doing so had become more tone. Finally, much to Videl's utter horror, the trademark afro had vanished. The once foot tall hair had shrunk to being only a few inches in length. Sure it still had the shape of an afro but in a much smaller form.

"Hey dad," said Videl as she walked over towards Hercule, the air around her pressing down as if she was back on top of the platform where Korin resided.

Hercule stopped his fighting and turned to face his daughter. "Sweet pea, it's so good to see you," he said as he jumped from the ring, landing with a loud thud before grabbing a towel and wiping the torrent of sweat pouring off his brow. "I would give you a hug but I'm a bit dirty at the moment."

"That's alright," said Videl brushing it off. "Anyway, let's get down to business. Have you been preparing for this oncoming fight?"

"Once I learnt that you had gone training for an extended period of time I believed that I had to do my best to still be a protective father," explained Hercule. "The fight itself was your friend Gohan's idea."

"Figures," whispered Videl so that Hercule couldn't hear before speaking up. "I hope you don't plan on holding back," said Videl.

"The only thing I'm scared of more than hurting m daughter is disappointing her," said Hercule. "I know that you are going to give it your all and I'm going to do the same."

"Thanks dad," said Videl with a smile before changing the topic. "Is it just me or does it feel different in here for some reason?"

"Once again you have your friend to blame," said Hercule as he beckoned for Videl to follow him to the side of the room. When they reached the wall, Hercule pointed at a small panel which read at '3.5xg.' "I'm not actually sure what it means but it changes the density of the room, it's steadily been going up every time I come in here and switches itself off when I'm not in here so the maids have no problem cleaning. Gohan installed it after he dropped me off in the wilderness for a week."

"Where did he drop you off?" asked Videl curious.

"I have no real idea but he gave me a strict training regime and when I got back he had put that thing in the wall."

"I'll have to ask him later," said Videl. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to your training." Videl turned to walk away before stopping and spinning around. "I like your hair by the way."

Hercule gave a knowing smile before tapping his hair with his forefinger. "Less wind resistance," he said with a laugh before he jumped back in the ring. Not wanting to know what she would soon come up against, Videl left Hercule alone and made a mental note not to step into the training room when Hercule was in there. It didn't make much difference, but Videl didn't want to know what sort of attacks Hercule would unleash on her in twelve days. That also meant however, that Hercule wouldn't know what she was capable of, and that fact caused a cunning smile to spread across her lips.

...

**The plot thickens as both parties prepare to face one another. Please review.**


	19. In the Army

**It's been a while hasn't it (rubs the back of head apologetically), yeah sorry about that.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ**

**...**

Hercule dropped to his hands and knees, Gohan standing over him, his one human arm by his side, the other he had left back at home for this training period. Bullets of sweat dropped from Hercule's head as his heart rate began to return to a normal pace. "It's exhausting!" he exclaimed as he looked at the feet of the one who was training him. "Why do we have to do this again?"

"Your daughter will have pushed herself to the limits; you and I both know this is true," explained Gohan. "You need to be prepared for anything and everything that she could possibly throw at you in order to gain an advantage. This will mean both various styles of fighting, most of which will likely be of her own creation, and ki training. That's why I told you to break away from your normal stance and think outside the box, if you're not ready you're going to get embarrassed out there, by your daughter no less."

Something in that statement seemed to trigger something in Hercule as he got to his feet with renewed vigour. With a roar of ferocity, Hercule once again began to channel his energy as wind pulsated from his body.

"That's the spirit," said Gohan under his breath. "We've got three more days Hercule, let's make you into a war machine!"

...

"Wonder where Gohan's gone?" asked Erasa as she twiddled her fingers in the middle of class. She had gotten so used to the man's company it didn't feel the same without him. Videl remained silent on the topic, Gohan had told her that he was going away a couple of days before the fight then coincidentally her father had done the same thing. No doubt Gohan had her father on a harsh training routine in order to make the competition a little more fierce.

"Why are you so worried about him?" asked Sharpner nonchalantly.

"I won't be able to get him a date at this rate," said Erasa causing Videl to chuckle slightly but the notion bypassed both the blondes. However this statement also caused Erasa to snap her head towards Videl. "We still haven't gotten you a dress yet!"

Videl cringed, Erasa had dragged her to the mall nearly every day since she had come back, crippling her training as it would seem. Yet no matter what excuse she made, Erasa would drag her to the same shops over and over again until they found the perfect dress, which sadly was never the first one she looked at. Most of the first ones she saw anyway looked like train wrecks but she just wanted to get it out of the way.

"I've already got a dress," said Videl trying to hush Erasa.

"You're not wearing something you've worn before!" proclaimed Erasa. Videl turned to her friend to complain some more but the pout she wore told Videl that there would be no other answer. Dropping her shoulders, Videl sighed and Erasa took it as a sign that she had won.

"Last day, we will find this dress today or I'll go in what I'm wearing now," said Videl sternly.

"Sounds like a challenge," said Erasa pumping her fist. "Alright, if I can't find you a dress by midnight tonight you can wear whatever you already have out of your wardrobe."

"Why the stroke of midnight?" asked Sharpner, Videl however forgot about what day in the week it was and was instantly distraught.

"Late night shopping!" squealed Erasa clapping her hands together as Videl's hands hit her forehead.

"If you don't become silent this instant Miss Erasa you shall find yourself staying after class with detention," threatened the teacher almost snapping the ruler in his hands in half. Instantly, Erasa's mouth zipped shut, not wanting to miss out on such an important shopping venture. Videl meanwhile silently prayed that Erasa would hear an important piece of gossip and switch into overdrive, and thus earning her a spot after school. Sure it was a mean thing to wish for but if it meant getting out of shopping she would wish such distraught things upon her best friend.

...

Hercule doubled over as a stone landed squarely in his stomach, the force of the blow knocking the wind out of him. He looked up in time to see another rock heading towards his shoulder and rolled out of the way. "Good job Hercule," said Gohan tossing another rock lightly in the air before it landed back in his hand. "You managed to dodge seventeen before getting hit, then you avoided the follow on."

Relieved, Hercule leant backwards before landing on his rear. "I may be hating you at the moment boy, but I know in the end it's all going to be worth it," said Hercule.

"You can use that hatred as fuel as you do your next hundred push-ups on the double," commanded Gohan to which Hercule immediately obliged. He had to hand it to Gohan however, he sure knew how to give a man a solid workout.

...

"This is the one," exclaimed Erasa holding it out, the time nearing the deadline. Videl looked it over and for being a tomboy, she had to admit that it would look good on her. A slight tight fit but good nonetheless.

"Alright Erasa, you win," said Videl with a shrug of the shoulders before she took the dress from her friend and went to the change rooms. Erasa waited patiently outside whilst awaiting Videl's re-entrance, the wait was well worth it. "What do you think?" asked Videl already knowing the answer.

"It's perfect!" squealed Erasa for joy, a wolf whistle from outside also told her that she looked good.

"If I wasn't wearing a dress right now my foot would be so far up his ass," said Videl with a shaking fist.

"He's just telling you it looks good," said Erasa waving it off. "Now get it off and go to the counter before we call it mission accomplished!" Videl complied and went back into the change room, thankful that she could put this matter to bed before focusing the next couple of days on training only. Paying for the package before stepping out onto the street and stepping into Erasa's car, Videl couldn't help but wonder if her father had progressed another level just from a day of training.

...

"You wanted to see us Gohan?" asked Trunks as he and Goten landed in the clearing. Gohan was prodding a small fire with a large branch while Hercule snored away in his sleep.

"Good you two are here," said Gohan in a hushed whisper as to not waken his pupil. "Did you bring it Trunks?" The kid nodded as he reached into his pockets and pulled out a small device which looked like an oversized pocket watch. "Excellent," Gohan stated.

"What does this do Gohan?" asked Goten who had never seen it before.

"This is a Dragon Radar Goten," explained Gohan taking the device and pressing the button on the top, allowing the screen to flash to life. "Think of it like a map and the flashing points are where treasure is hidden."

"A treasure hunt!" said both boys excitedly, loud enough for Hercule to stir slightly in his sleep.

"Your objective, should you choose to accept it," said Gohan standing upright and speaking in a commanding tone, "Is to find all seven dragonballs before the sun rises before bringing them back here. Do I make myself clear?" He had heard Hercule mumble something about how Gohan could be a head commander in the army so he decided to try it out with two kids who would gladly play along.

"Sir yes sir," saluted both Trunks and Goten getting into character.

"Alright private Trunks, you are in charge of navigation," said Gohan handing the dragon radar to Trunks making Goten pout slightly. "Private Goten, you shall be in charge of holding onto the items once found!" Goten's face beamed as if he suddenly felt like he had been given the most important job of all. "Now move out!"

"Sir yes sir," said both the boys before bursting into Super Saiyan mode and flying off into the night sky. Gohan stared at them a little while before returning back to his fire. His eyes then shot back up to the two lights in the sky that blended in with the stars.

"Since when could they go Super?" questioned Gohan before shrugging and returning his attention to stocking the fire.

"Videl...Videl..." mumbled Hercule in his sleep, rolling from side to side.

"I miss her too," said Gohan as he stoked the fire one last time before laying down on the grass, making himself comfortable. As he rolled towards the fire, his eyes focusing on the flickering flames, he came to one very important conclusion.

"I don't have a suit!"

...

**Once again I apologise for the delay, please forgive me. Please review.**


	20. Let's Get Ready To Rumble

**I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry, please forgive me for not updating. Also as a side note, those of you who were reading Tranquil Violence it has been traded with Team Dragon Star in exchange for something more lucrative. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ**

...

Videl walked through the packed stadium, feeling the eyes of everybody looking at her. She could hear the cheers of young girls, claiming that she was their hero and the words of confidence of those older than her. This was the moment she had been building up to and for some reason she couldn't focus properly. Was it because of the publicity? She shook her head; she was on front of the paper at least once a week for stopping some crime. Was it because the person she was fighting was her father? Once again she shook her head; she had wanted to beat up her father for so long it wasn't funny.

Or was it because after this was all said and done tomorrow she would be going to the school dance with Gohan?

Once again she shook her head, albeit a little more ferociously than last time but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get the thought out of her head. She didn't know when she had become all fan girly but for some reason over the last couple of days since she had gotten the dress her thoughts had drifted away from the imminent fight. Maybe spending time with Erasa had rubbed off on her somewhat.

She found her way to the competitors rooms and immediately rushed to the change rooms, turning on a tap and washing her face, as if trying to clean the thoughts out of her mind. She decided that after this fight she would take up a mantra, something to simply chant to herself over and over again to help get into the mood. She knew that Krillen and Eighteen would be watching today, if she ended up getting humiliated she knew she would have let them down.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" shouted the ring announcer excitedly from outside. Videl drowned out the voice she had come to know so well, even after nearly half a dozen world championships he could still draw a crowd with his voice alone. She was thankful though that there were some matches before the main event she would be competing in, allowing her time to do her stretches. She smirked as memories of her time back on the island washed through her mind.

...

"_These exercises will help limber up your limbs," said Roshi in a matter of fact tone, his staff in his hand._

"_You've put on an aerobics video?" questioned Videl looking at the screen before hearing a sickening crunch as Roshi was punched through the wall of his own house._

"_Ignore the pervert," said Eighteen placidly, not caring about the damage she had just caused. "Come, I'll teach you how to stretch properly."_

"_Isn't stretching a simple concept?" asked Videl as they walked outside to find Marron poking the unconscious Roshi with a piece of wood that had once been a part of the house._

"_In theory yes, however simple things like rotations and twists help with ensuring that you don't damage any part of your spine," said Eighteen as she turned to face her pupil. "However if you overstretch or you stretch incorrectly you will end up doing more harm than good."_

"_Alright then," said Videl nervously before Eighteen started putting her through her paces with stretching alone._

_..._

"I've come a long way," she said to herself with a chuckle, thinking of how week she had been those first few days. She had a few tricks up her sleeve she had gathered since then which she was itching to try out in an actual combat situation and see whether or not they are battle worthy. Out of everything that Eighteen, Krillen and even Marron had taught her, her secret weapon was the one that Roshi had taught her. It was a last resort but she knew if worst came to worst that the people in the crowd would be safe due to there being a number of skilled fighters in the stadium. She just hoped it didn't come down to that.

...

"Enjoying the fights?" asked Gohan as he took his seat next to Sharpner.

"They aren't as action packed as the ones you and your friends were in," said Sharpner analysing the bout. "Heck, I could have beaten the last guy who won easily."

"Fights aren't always meant to be about who's stronger, it's about trying to better yourself each time," said Gohan with a grin across his face.

"You shouldn't be smiling mister," snapped Erasa as she leant around Sharpner to look Gohan in the eye. "The dance is tomorrow and we still haven't found you a date!"

"Just because you haven't got me a date doesn't mean I don't have one," said Gohan chuckling. "Anyway, why don't you tell Sharpner about your dress for the hundredth time to make sure he gets the right type of coronation for his suit?"

If Sharpner could have attacked Gohan right then and now without getting in trouble with Erasa he would have, however the blonde had automatically gone into overdrive as she described the layout of her dress. Sharpner simply sighed as he turned his head, he had forgotten how many times he had been told this but he didn't really care anymore. He had already gotten the coronation and he knew that it would be just fine, nothing had to be as perfect as Erasa wanted it.

It was in his little view however that his eye dropped down to look at Gohan's left arm, the one which could dislodge at his will and he couldn't help but wonder if it always had a scar.

...

"What a show!" shouted the announcer as both the combatants walked away from the ring, albeit one a little more banged up than the other. In all honesty it hadn't been that much of a fight compared to those of the tournaments he had hosted but then again, these people were not Son Goku. He enjoyed these fights in the aspect that he could call them as he saw them, considering that some of the fights he had called he could never catch hide nor hair of either competitor until one was incapable of moving. The only problem was these fights lacked the excitement feel that the bigger ones did. He knew most of the general population believed the light tricks some of the people could do were merely tricks, nothing more; however having been ringside when they occurred he didn't care whether they were real or not, that was entertainment.

"Now the moment you have all been waiting for ladies and gentlemen, it's time for our Main EVENT!" he shouted getting the stadium to erupt in a series of cheers. "One is man who saved the planet from the clutches of Cell." The announcer choked slightly on his own words, he had recognised most of the fighters at the Cell Games on the television and knew that in no way shape or form could Hercule have matched up against something which Goku had had difficulty with. They both had been claimed the 'Strongest under the Heavens' however no matter what way you looked at it, Goku was beyond anything most fighters could ever comprehend. "The other spends her time saving the people of Satan City from crooks and villains. They share the same name, they live under the one roof and today before your very eyes we are going to see a family conflict like no other! Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Hercule and Videl Satan!"

'_Still got it'_ he thought as the crowd erupted into frantic screams and cheers as Hercule and Videl walked side by side towards the ring. A thousand flashlights seemed to go off at once as people took the opportunity to catch the father and daughter on camera. Hercule and Videl walked up the steps stride by side, neither taking a step in front of the other out of mutual respect. Had this been the time when Hercule had still been the champion he would have been in the centre of the ring before she had even made it out of the starting blocks.

They separated, moving to alternate sides of the ring before turning to face one another, neither saying a word. Videl had only seen her father late last night when Gohan had dropped him off from whatever horrific training the boy had put her father through. Even from three hallways away she could hear him screaming nightmares, something he had never done before. As such, she knew her father was going to be bringing his 'A' game today at a level that nobody here had ever seen before.

Hercule slipped into his patented style, the one which had become so familiar around the entire world. However, Videl could already pick up the smallest of differences. After having watched her father year after year she had come to know that stance like the back of her hand. Yet here it was, similar but not identical. "Gohan really put you through your paces, didn't he Dad," said Videl as she slid into her own stance. Hercule said nothing in return but flashed her daughter a smile, not one of the boastful ones he had had on him for six years, rather a genuine one, and his in turn caused Videl to smile.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is our Main Event," shouted the ring announcer causing yet another round of cheers. "I think I speak for everybody here when I say this...LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!"

...

**Am I cruel for finishing it there...probably. As a side note, if any of you want to help me could you vote for me on Team Dragon Star's Poll? It would mean so much.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed.**


	21. Explosive Tactics

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ**

...

The cheers roared from all around as Hercule rushed forward, his right arm pulled back in the patented Satan Punch position. "Guess old habits are hard to break," muttered Videl under her breath as she prepared to block the oncoming fist. This left herself open though as her father kicked his speed into another gear and leapt up, driving his knee into Videl's chin.

The blow knocked Videl into the air, the general surprise of the attack being the most effective part of that plan. As she hit the tiles her eyes flashed open to see Hercule descending down at her. With quick reflexes she rolled out of the way as Hercule's fist connected with the tiles causing a spider web of cracks to form. Back on her feet, Videl remembered the words her father had spoken to her a week earlier and realised that he was not going to be pulling his punches. She knew that he could crack so many tiles and rip a phone book in half but to see him crack tiles with the same density as concrete scared her somewhat.

Taking the initiative, Videl charged forward, twisting on her left foot and pivoting, swinging her right foot at her father's head. Lifting his arm, Hercule blocked the kick with his forearm as Videl manoeuvred further, placing her hands on the ground before launching her left foot at her father's stomach. The blow drove into his chest, bile escaped his lips as he was blown back a few feet but remained upright.

...

"Whoa, I didn't know Videl could bend that way," said Erasa as she watched the fight.

"You'd be surprised what the human body is capable of," said Gohan with a smile.

"I want to see what your body is capable of," muttered Erasa seductively under her breath, unaware that Gohan's Saiyan hearing picked it up causing him to spit out the drink he had taken a sip of.

"What was that Erasa?" asked Sharpner not hearing the last part.

"Nothing," she responded closing her eyes as a broad smile spread across her face.

...

Once again Videl stared down her father as the crowd roared their approval. Even though it had only been a couple of minutes the fight had managed to grab everybody's attention and like the rabid fans they were, they were hungry for more. Videl opted for a change of stance, swinging her non preferred right foot forward and pivoting on the sole. She brought her hands up in front of her face much like a boxer would except with open palms rather than fists. Marron had been the actual one to show her this stance in that bouncing on the sole of the foot allowed for her to push forward if the burst of speed was needed and with open palms she wouldn't need to worry about injuring her knuckles. This in turn meant less damage was dealt but Videl knew that sometimes the fight wasn't won simply by whoever dealt more damage but how little damage was done to yourself.

Hercule noticed the change in stance and causing a murmur to spread around the stadium like a hive of bees, Hercule shifted his stance as well. Standing completely upright, he placed one hand up at shoulder height while his right hand found it's place behind his back. His legs were rigid and placed next to one another, no space separating them as his body swayed side to side as if it were a leaf in the wind. Videl looked the stance over and was able to notice a lot of flaws with it and held back momentarily wondering why her father had done so.

...

"Why'd Hercule change stance?" asked Sharpner from the sidelines.

"He's baiting her," said Gohan plainly causing Sharpner to look at him inquisitively. "Wait and see," he concluded as his eyes remained focused on the match.

...

Tired of playing the waiting game, Videl charged forward, keeping her stance as she did before launching her right palm at Hercule only for him to brush it to the side with his upright arm. This however left him open and Videl sent her left palm at his solar plexus only for him to drift around the attack as if he had predicted where it was going to go. _'How did he dodge that!'_ thought Videl as she tried to follow up for another jab only for him to glide around it again. Letting her emotions get the better of her, she started raining down strikes at his chest, each time only for him to knock it to the side or avoid it altogether.

With a roar of anger Videl sent a shot in at Hercule's ribs and struck, however with the turning of his body it was only a glancing blow. That was when Videl felt a firm grasp wrap around her wrist as Hercule latched on with his hand as they stood side by side, Videl's arm stretched across Hercule's chest. Pulling his right hand out from behind his back, Hercule drove his elbow just underneath Videl's floating ribs, delivering a vicious blow to the kidney.

Videl winced in pain as she tried to pull her arm back only for her effort to do nothing. Her attention was drawn back to the elbow as it went for her again and she placed her spare hand out, grabbing the limb before it could deal even more damage. The pressure was still there however as the back of her palm was pressed against the side of her waist. The pressure on her extended arm began to build as Hercule stretched it out, as if trying to rip it from its socket. Growling in pain, Videl executed a standing backflip to the point where her legs wrapped around Hercule's neck, breaking the hold he had on her arm. In a fluid motion she twisted her body putting pressure on her father's neck and flipping him onto the ground. As he sat up groggily, shaking his head slightly Videl swooped in and wrapped her arms around Hercule's throat in a rear naked choke.

...

"It's over, you can't break out of that," proclaimed Sharpner boldly. "Even if he was the world champ," he suddenly found himself choking on his own words.

"You mean Videl's going to win?" said Erasa with excitement riddled within her voice.

"It all depends on the next move," said Gohan as his eyes focused on the fight.

"What do you mean next move? Videl's going to choke Hercule out," said Sharpner.

"It all depends whether or not Hercule admits defeat here," said Gohan in a semi riddle confusing his two friends.

...

Videl tightened her grip, clutching her bicep with all the force that she could muster. However Hercule had wedged one hand between her arm and his neck before she had begun to tighten, giving him breathing room, or at least a little bit. With his spare hand, he started pressing against the tiles for leverage. Seeing him do this, Videl pulled backwards, trying to get him on his back where he would be stuck for the contest. Even in this tug of war, all she needed to do was hold on long enough to make him go light headed.

Hercule's strength won out though as he pushed himself to his knees, Videl standing behind him still putting everything she had into choking him out. Hercule's face had already gone past several shades of red as he reached over his shoulder and grabbed the back of Videl's head. She felt the grip he had on her bicep tighten before he rolled his body forwards, pulling Videl even further. Her hold broke as she flipped over Hercule's shoulder, her back slamming on the tiles as Hercule was once again allowed to breathe.

...

"How did he do that?" asked Sharpner with a blank expression.

"It was a judo throw designed to get people off your back," explained Gohan. "He wouldn't have been able to do it however if Videl had beaten him in strength and gotten him to the ground, if that had happened we could have safely called it game over."

...

Videl got to her knees, wiping the spit away from the corner of her mouth as she looked at her father to see his face return to its normal shade of colour. Getting back to her feet, she charged at Hercule as fast as her legs could take her, intent on keeping the momentum in her favour. However when she was too close to back down did she see the small ball of yellow light in Hercule's hand. She only had time to cross her arms in front of her face as Hercule swung his open palm around, tossing the Ki ball directly into her.

Videl screamed in pain as she was sent flying backwards, skidding across the stone cold tiles. While the blast hadn't been overly painful, she could recall Marron dishing out more pain with them, she had let him get the better of him by surprising her with a move like that. She could feel light burn marks across her forearms, thankful that she hadn't taken the blow straight to the face. _'I should have known Gohan would have taught him something like that,_' she thought with an irk as she got to her feet. She tentatively touched her arms and winced with the pain knowing that if she were to block with them it would almost do more damage than good. Yet at the same time the distance between her and Hercule spanned nearly the entire stage, and the longer he waited away from her the longer he had to regain the stamina she had drained from him with the choke hold. He was also breathing heavily, _'Guess that attack took a lot out of him, he mustn't be used to using Ki based attacks.'_

Getting to her feet, she fell into her trump stance, a stance which was instantly recognisable by a few members of the crowd. Her right arm was extended with the palm facing Hercule while her left was bent to the side. An omniscient blue glow began to surround her limbs as she charged all of her remaining energy into this attack. Her feet dropped to that of a horse stance as she brought both her arms up and close in front of her. Swinging her arms in a wide circular arc, the connect together in front of her before she pulled it to the side, her right leg sweeping back. In that moment, a chant many die hard fans thought had vanished for eternity was spoken through the stadium.

"Kame..." said Videl as she focused all of the energy she had gathered into the point in between her hands. "Hame..." Through her energy, a ball of pure blue light appeared in her hand, beams of light breaking the gaps in between her fingers. With a war cry she pushed her hands forward in a swift motion as she competed the technique.

"**HA!"**

**...**

**Hope you enjoyed, please remember to vote for me on the Team Dragon Star web page. If you want to read more of my fics that aren't accessible on my profile, you'll find them in Team Dragon Star. That's all for now.**


	22. A Battle Concluded

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ**

**...**

For many of those watching the battle with baited breath, they were shocked at the beam of energy extending from Videl's hands. Yet there were those who recognised the technique instantly, the ring announcer being one who could do nothing but watch in awe as one of the most famed techniques in history blast through the arena. For those who could sense the energy in the attack, they were able to clearly feel that the amount of energy in it would not do any permanent damage, if it were used against a mountain it would burrow a shallow hole in it and nothing more. Yet their attention was not on the attack itself, but rather what Hercule would do now that he was in this position. Screams of fear echoed around the stadium as a number of people feared for Hercule's safety, yet the former world champion's eyes remained focused and he didn't flinch at the oncoming beam.

...

"_What do you mean Videl's going to shoot one of those beams at me!" shouted Hercule in fear as he stared at the carnage Gohan's Kamehameha had done to a mountain._

"_Don't worry, her strength will barely scratch the surface of that mountain, let alone blow off a chunk," reassured Gohan. "I'd teach it to you but you're barely getting the hang of controlling Ki, stepping it up to such a technique at this stage of time would completely destroy your body."_

"_Then why is Videl learning it?" asked Hercule worried for his daughters safety._

"_Because she is likely being taught it from the person who originally created the technique, Master Roshi himself," said Gohan calmly. At that Hercule's jaw dropped slightly, even he knew of the formidable strength that the Turtle Hermit possessed._

"_So how am I meant to stop something like that?" asked Hercule._

"_This moment will be one of the defining moments in the fight, and by no means will you be able to tackle it with physical strength alone. So far I've been teaching you how to use your Ki for offensive purposes, now it's time I teach you how to utilise it for defensive purposes."_

_..._

Gohan watched proudly, his eyes picking up every single movement Hercule made as his feet seemed to put extended pressure into the ground. In all honesty, there were two ways for Hercule to combat this attack and Gohan was proud that he had chosen the one that he would do in this situation. As the energy beam closed in distance, Hercule began focusing his energy to the palms of his hands, a soft blue glow surrounding them as the Kamehameha wave grew ever close. When it was mere feet away, Hercule slammed his hands forward and directly into the heart of the attack.

The group gasped in shock as the beam halted its movements forward. "Ladies and Gentlemen, if I hadn't seen it for myself I would never have believed it!" shouted the ring announcer, his voice radiating through the arena. Yet the crowd hardly heard a word of it, their eyes entranced on the battle taking place before them.

Videl gasped as she saw her father holding his own against her attack, wondering how he was able to accomplish such a thing. Growling, she channelled more of her energy into the attack, the wave increasing in intensity as some of the tiles began to crack under the pressure the beam was radiating, despite that however Hercule stood strong against the flow of the beam. Yet this was not without a price either, both members of the Satan family could feel the strain on their bodies as Hercule blocked Videl's attack. A war cry emitted from Hercule's lips as he began to push against the beam, but rather than pushing directly against it, he was angling it up. Gohan had taught him the fundamentals about energy attacks like this and it had been clearly explained that a beam of this magnitude would follow the path, even if the path was to veer in another direction. He knew that in this battle, if he were to remain like so he would undoubtedly lose and knew that with what he was about to do there would only be milliseconds in it.

Pulling his right leg off of the ground, he lifted his foot behind his knee before swinging forward with all his strength. Just as his foot was about to connect with the attack, he pulled his hands away from the beam and channelled all of his energy into his foot, his toes connecting with the underside of the beam. The stadium watched in shock as the attack suddenly careened upwards, flying high into the sky. The crowd watched in awe as Videl stopped the flow of her attack, now knowing that it was useless to continue wasting her energy meaninglessly. She still had one final trick up her sleeve and she was just waiting for the opportunity to use it and show the world what she was now capable of. All around the two competitors there was silence as the people watching tried to comprehend what they had just seen.

"More, we want more!" shouted a man in the crowd, his voice radiating through the stadium which quickly turned the noise levels up their maximum as the crowd shouted in anticipation for more.

"Wow, Videl's gotten so cool," admired Erasa.

"I never thought she would think to sink as low as to use light tricks though," scolded Sharpner.

"Tell me Sharpner," said Gohan leaning over to where the blonde was sitting, holding his palm out in front of the teens face before focusing his Ki to create a small ball of energy in his hand, "Is this a light trick?"

Sharpner's screams of fear went unheard as all attention was on the centre of the ring as both Hercule and Videl stared at one another, breathing heavily as the wounds of the battle began to show. In the same instant they charged forward at one another, Videl's speed much greater than anyone could anticipate, as if her feet were gliding over the tiles without the soles of her feet so much as touching the ground beneath her. In a solid punch, their fists collided against one another creating a small shockwave which blew Videl's hair out of her face. Hercule opted to close the distance, reaching around and grabbing the back of Videl's head with his spare hand. Seeing the danger of the situation, Videl opted to do the same and they held each other in close confines.

Hercule took the initiative, pulling his hand away from Videl's neck and quickly jabbing her in the stomach, causing her to wince slightly. This brief moment allowed Hercule to pull Videl's hand away from his neck before landing a quick hook to Videl's lower back, yet the attack was not yet finished. Hercule followed up by kicking Videl in the back of the thigh, forcing the teenager to drop to her knees before twisting his body, intending to land an uppercut directly into Videl's jaw. Spotting the incoming danger, Videl did the only thing she could do at the time to escape the attack.

The audience stared in shock as Hercule's attack missed his daughter, the former champion focusing his attention upwards where Videl hovered several feet in the air away from immediate danger. "This is incredible ladies and gentlemen," shouted the ring announcer adjusting his sunglasses. "Videl Satan has just avoided a punishing haymaker and now we can't help but witness her floating above her father like an angel ascending to heaven." Videl grimaced slightly as she gripped her side in pain, her father's combo having been censored around the same spot. Yet the attack had also shown her that he wasn't prepared to fully injure her, had he opted to strike the back of her knee compared to her thigh, not only would it have been game over but she wouldn't have been walking for many months afterwards. Despite that, she had been forced to use her trump card and now found herself flying above her father, catching her breath as she formulated a plan to use this to her advantage.

Hercule couldn't help but let a small smile grace his lips at the sight of her daughter hovering above him as he created a small energy ball in the palm of his hand. Seeing the attack, Videl prepared to avoid the attack but was stunned when Hercule opted not to throw it at her, but at the ground by his feet, creating a cloud of smoke which blanketed him from view. Videl became wary, knowing that she would only be able to see Ki attacks once they came flying out of the smoke towards where she was hovering, a dangerous situation if any. Yet what came flying out of the smoke left many people shivering in fear as a fist implanted itself in Videl's stomach.

"Incredible, not only has Videl managed to achieve flight but miraculously Hercule is now airborne as well, is there anything these two can't accomplish!" shouted the ring announcer, soaking up the atmosphere of the situation. As Videl regained her balance, shifting the energy circulating around her body where necessary in order to stabilize herself, she was shocked to see that her father was floating at an equal height, the smokescreen having been a distraction to get her off guard.

"Surprised Sweet Pea?" asked Hercule knowing the answer just from the expression on Videl's face. Videl's eyes sharpened as she flew towards where Hercule was floating, her arm prepared to attack before she jabbed at his face. Hercule, seeing the attack coming, opted to temporarily remove the energy from his system allowing him to drop a foot before stabilising himself, successfully avoiding the attack before he punched solidly into Videl's sternum.

Bile escaped Videl's lips but before she got the chance to escape, Hercule gripped her foot with both hands, twisting in midair as he hurled Videl towards the arena with as much strength he could muster. Videl hit the ground painfully, unable to slow herself down in the slightest before her back connected with the concrete slabs. Opening her eyes slowly, she looked up to see her father holding a glowing ball of energy in each hand. In an instant they came sailing towards her and as much as she willed her body to move out of the way her muscles wouldn't respond as the attack connected square with its intended target.

Smoke and debris flew in all directions as Hercule landed on the arena floor, his energy all but depleted after pouring everything he had into the last attack. As the smoke cleared out of the way, he could see his daughter, her chest rising and falling slowly with deep breaths as she struggled to move an inch from her position, her finger twitching every so often.

"Videl Satan is down, but is she out!" shouted the ring announcer as the crowd went silent, wondering if the city hero would have it in her to get up after the last attack. "One...two...three..."

As the ring announcer continued to count, Videl opened her eyes slowly, pain radiating through her entire body after having taken the last attack head on without any chance of dodging. Two raspy coughs escaped her lungs, as she rolled to her side. Even such a simple movement caused her body to spasm slightly in pain as she pressed her hand to the concrete beneath her. Willing her body onwards, she got to a single knee only to fall to the other side.

"You can do it Videl!" shouted Erasa at the top of her lungs, causing Videl's eyes to open wide at the sound of her friend cheering for her. Slamming her fist into the ground with renewed determination she got to her knees, swaying slightly as she put one foot forward before getting to her feet struggling to keep upright. All around the stadium cheers erupted as the crowd watched Videl get into a sloppy stance, fierce determination evident within her eyes.

"Even though her body is broken, her will pushes her forward, but just how much more can Videl Satan take?" questioned the ring announcer, tears trickling from behind his sunglasses. Hercule watched as Videl walked towards where he was standing, struggling to remain upright with every step. Seeing his daughter in such a state brought a tear to Hercule's eye which he quickly wiped away as Videl got within striking distance.

With a roar, Videl swung her fist forward, only for her limb to get caught tightly within the confines of Hercule's palm. She winced, expecting a counter blow of any kind to come crashing into her face or chest, a finishing blow which would leave her unable to get up again. Yet it never came. Videl opened her eyes and looked up at her father observing her with a gentle smile upon his face. Slowly, Hercule lifted his arm up and with it Videl's. Releasing his grip, Videl's fist remained raised in the air as Hercule walked backwards, away from where Videl was standing until he reached the edge of the platform where he leapt to the ground without any hesitation.

"Through an amazing turn of events Ladies and Gentlemen, Hercule Satan, the saviour of the world and former world champion has given Videl Satan the win. Videl Satan WINS!" shouted the ring announcer which caused the crown to burst out into a round of applause, both for the bout they had witnessed and for Hercule choosing to be a parent over a fighter in the final minute of the battle. Videl stood there, her mind slowly coming to grips with what had happened but before she could process it all, her legs gave way underneath her as consciousness faded from her body.

Yet she didn't hit the ground, rather she had been caught before any more damage could be done to her, by none other than Gohan himself. "You did good," he said softly as he held her in his arms, slowly walking towards where the medics would be waiting.

...

**Yea...sorry it's been so long since I last updated. Let it be known however that there is only one chapter left, I repeat the next chapter will be the finale.**

**Hope you enjoyed.**

**Peace out.**


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